Song of the Gemini
by Catwoman99
Summary: Albus’ daughter walked away from him years ago and now decides to make amends. Can he except her as the vengeful bounty hunter she has become? When Voldemort sets his eyes on her, can she handle Hogwarts, Death Eaters, and Severus Snape? SSOC&ADMM.
1. Witchy Woman

Author's Note: The only characters I own are the ones not found in the books and everyone else I'm just borrowing for a bit from the fabulous JK Rowling. Please bear in mind that this is my first attempt at HP fanfiction, so if you love it/hate it, by all means let me know. I've been writing this mainly to amuse myself, but I thought that others might enjoy it as well. Thanks.

Full Summary: Albus' daughter walked away from him years ago and now decides to make amends. Can he except her as the foul-mouthed, stubborn, and vengeful bounty hunter she has become? Her true identity is known only to the Order and, of course, Voldemort, who has taken twin boys for some nefarious purpose. He decides he wants Albus' daughter as a prize. Can she handle Hogwarts, Death Eaters, and Severus Snape? It's a mix of drama, mystery, humor, and a dash of romance. Contains AD/MM and eventual SS/OC. Rated for strong language and crude humor.

Song of the Gemini

__

"Raven hair and ruby lips  
sparks fly from her fingertips.  
Echoed voices in the night  
she's a restless spirit on an endless flight."

_- Witchy Woman, _The Eagles

Chapter 1

A man dressed in a navy blue business suit looked quite out of place in the deserted alleyway. The woman, whose presence he was unaware, felt just fine in the darkness of such surroundings. She had learned many years ago that shadows were valued allies when you needed to conceal yourself. She hardly ever used magic anymore to become invisible. The man's eyes darted back and forth as he struggled to contain his breathing. He looked over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't followed.

Foolish muggle, she thought. He had no idea she had him trapped. A few well-placed spells gave him the feeling of being stalked and thus leading him right where she wanted. As he was looking away from her position down the alley, she silently came up behind him and placed her gun against the back of his head.

"Hello, Mr. Rhodes." He inhaled sharply and tensed up when he felt the coolness of the barrel.

"P-p-please, don't kill me," he whimpered, bringing his hands up.

"Now what makes you think I would do such a thing? As long as you're a good boy, we won't have any problems," she spoke in his ear, "Walk!" The man moved unsteadily down the alley. They passed the backdoors of several shops and restaurants. She told him to stop in front of a green one.

"Open the door, Mr. Rhodes," she instructed. Shaking, he obeyed. It led to an office used by a jewelry store. There was not much in there besides a desk and two chairs. The woman turned on a lamp and told him to sit down. Sweat beads formed on his forehead as he looked at his captor. She met his gaze with a self-satisfied smirk. This is getting too easy, she thought.

"See, I told you I wouldn't hurt you if you behaved yourself," she reached inside her leather duster, pulled out a pair of handcuffs, and winked, "Though sometimes I prefer naughty." After she handcuffed his hands behind his back, he got up the courage to speak. "What do you want with me? Money?"

The woman, who was seated on the desk in front of him, laughed. "This isn't personal, Mr. Rhodes, I'm just doing my job." She laughed again at his confused face and pulled out a cell phone. "Hi. It's done. I'm at the designated place," she paused, "See you soon." The man began to panic again, "Whatever they're paying you, I'll double it if you let me go!"

"Oh, I know all about your financial situation and I hardly think you can afford me. Besides I wouldn't want to get on my associates' bad side," she grinned wickedly, "As you'll soon understand." He hung his head and spoke no more.

She fidgeted with her long braid to pass the time. Staring at the man, she did feel sorry for him, but business was business and she needed the money. She didn't normally take jobs from muggles, it was easier to dodge a curse than a bullet, but lately the magical community didn't have need of her services. The door opened and she looked up. A large man wearing a tailored black suit came through with gun in hand, followed by two more suits. The one in the middle wasn't armed, but the rear one held his gun at the ready. The two armed men positioned themselves behind Rhodes, whose eyes burned with recognition and fear. The smaller one smiled approvingly at the woman and placed a briefcase on the desk next to her.

The woman moved to open the case and was pleased to see that all was in order. "Is everything to your satisfaction?" he asked.

"Looks good to me." She nodded toward Rhodes, "Will you be needing the key to the cuffs, Mr. Garcia?"

"Perhaps," he said as she handed him the key, "Maybe we could try them out later, Miss Price."

"You know I never mix business with pleasure, but I'll keep it mind. Have fun, boys." With one last wink at Rhodes she was out the door.

She made sure no one was watching before apparating to her apartment. She flopped down onto the sofa and removed her boots, thinking of the look on Rhodes' face as she left. Her somewhat sadistic nature enjoyed his terrified expression. Sighing, she looked around her apartment. It had two bedrooms, a large living room, and a nice view of Los Angeles, so it wasn't too shabby. Walking to the bathroom she thought, maybe I should find a respectable job. She had this discussion after every job, more likely to convince herself that she wasn't all bad. Being a bounty hunter/work-for-hire certainly had its advantages; you could choose your own hours; no dress code; it's exciting; the list goes on. Of course her father had never agreed with her. They hadn't seen or spoken to each other in nearly fourteen years.

The hot shower rid her of the smell and bacteria of the dumpster she was forced to hide behind, making her feel refreshed. Standing in her kitchen, she glanced at the clock. "3:24" it read. It was unnatural to feel refreshed this early in the morning, but her sleep pattern had been thrown off by the last couple of jobs, all of which had her operating at night. A loud meow interrupted her thoughts.

"Alright, Ebony, I'll hurry up and feed you."

A shorthaired black cat with yellow eyes jumped up on the counter and nuzzled her arm. A wave of her wand and a can of food was spooning itself into the cat dish. She also produced a steaming mug of hot chocolate out of the air. At least Dad and I agree on something, she thought. She moved to the living room, sat down on the sofa, and noticed the pile of bills on the coffee table. They were all addressed to her working name, Alexandria Price. She hadn't used her real name in years. When anonymity was so important in her line of work, how could she use it? Her estrangement from her father weighed heavily on her decision to change her name, but whenever she looked into the mirror and saw those light blue eyes staring back, she knew she could never escape her true self.

* * *

The old wizard sat hunched over on his desk, fingers pinched at the bridge of his nose. His blue eyes surveyed the room, listening to the sounds of the various contraptions and oddities that filled it. Just a few weeks ago, a distraught fifteen-year-old boy had tossed it into disarray. Why is it, he thought, that the children I seem to love the most are the ones I always misunderstand. He shouldn't have coddled Harry. As a man who believed honesty was crucial in any relationship, why had he not come clean in the beginning? He allowed feelings to fester inside the boy until they boiled to the surface and he cracked. Albus Dumbledore sighed. He had kept things hidden from his daughter too. He had deemed her too young to be plagued by certain information. Why had he made the same mistake twice? Because you're a stubborn old fool, he thought. When she discovered the truth she reacted in much the same way as Harry, even though she had been older. He had hoped that once Harry had time to calm down and reflect he wouldn't shut him out of his life. He hadn't seen or spoken to his daughter since she was twenty-one, fourteen years ago.

Fawkes flew over and perched next to him. The bird sang a comforting melody, picking up on his master's mood. Dumbledore took out a photo album from his desk and turned to the first page. It showed a slightly younger version of himself holding a smiling little girl with black hair and eyes that matched his own. She giggled as she tugged his beard and flung her arms around his neck. His breath caught and a tear threatened to escape. He missed her, oh gods, how he missed her. He had made many mistakes as a father, but perhaps it wasn't too late to start over, provided she was willing. Dumbledore knew she went by another name and knew where she was living. She had done much to hide herself from him, but he had contacts in America that assisted him and kept an eye on her. He still was not happy about her choice of occupation, but his actions had probably led her to it. A sharp knock at the door made him jump and he put away the album.

Minerva McGonagall walked carefully into his office, still relying on a walking stick. His heart wrenched every time he saw her and he couldn't quite shake the image of the woman he loved being struck by four stunning spells. She sat down in front of his desk, concern etched upon her face.

"You look like hell, Albus," she put it bluntly.

"I will interpret that as, good afternoon, dear, and how are you?"

Her features softened. "I'm sorry, Albus, but I'm worried. You've done nothing, but lock yourself in here doing who knows what, since the end of term. You didn't attend last night's meeting and we were concerned. The Order needs your guidance."

Dumbledore rose and came around to kneel in front of her, taking her hands in his. "My dear Minerva, you and the Order need not worry about me. I am fine, just past regrets catching up to me that I need to rectify."

"Harry will understand in time. Until then, there is nothing you can do to change the past and everything you can do to change the future."

Dumbledore smiled and his eyes got back their usual twinkle. He stood up, pulling Minerva up to him, and embraced her. "I love you, you know that right?" he whispered in her ear.

"Of course I do. I love you too," she kissed him softly, "I will see you at lunch?"

He nodded and held out her staff. She stopped at the door and turned to face him. "Have you found a Defense teacher yet, Headmaster?" It really unnerved Dumbledore how she could go from personal to professional without missing a beat.

"I have not, Professor, but you will be the first one to know when I do." Satisfied with his answer, she left, and the old wizard returned to his desk and his thoughts. A fresh parchment lay before him and with strengthened resolve he started to write a letter.

_Dearest Allexia._

How many times in the last fourteen years had he written those same words only to stop, staring at the paper as if was some foreign object too complex to fathom. This time was different somehow. His quill seemed to move of its own accord, guiding his hand and heart. The words in his head were moving faster than he could write them. He struggled to keep up and felt his hand cramp. Ignoring it, he continued on for what seemed like hours, then as suddenly as it had begun, the quill stopped. Dumbledore looked the letter over, surprised at his own handiwork. Noticing that he only had a few minutes before lunch, he signed it, stamped it with the Hogwarts seal, and stuffed it in his robe to send later.

* * *

Someone was pounding on her door and if they didn't stop, Allexia was going to hex them into next year. Slowly opening her eyes, she squinted in the sun that invaded the room, and removed a bill that had become stuck to her face. She didn't remember falling asleep, but then going over your finances is tedious and boring. Unless you're stinking rich, she thought. The pounding started up again, so she grabbed her wand and was quite prepared to throw every curse she knew at whoever dared to come over at 7:30 in the morning. It was safe to say that Allexia was never a morning person. Looking through the peephole, she saw Hugh Jackman standing in the hallway wearing nothing but a smile. _She's going to pay for that one!_

She opened the door onto a short blonde woman, not a naked actor. "Morning, love!" the woman said, in a chipper British accent. She pushed passed Allexia, who muttered the word bitch under her breath, and headed straight for the refrigerator.

"Hello, Liz. Please come in and make yourself at home," she closed the door, laughing in spite herself, "You have to stop getting my hopes up, though I liked this latest one."

"I knew you would." Liz was now making coffee for two. Ever since they met, Liz would make something different appear when Allexia looked to see who was at the door. Sometimes she got really creative, like the headless pumpkin salesman, and sometimes she was downright silly, as when the hallway appeared submerged and a scuba diver stared back at her. Lately she'd been doing male actors. Liz brought the cups of coffee into the living room.

"I see you were successful last night," she said, glancing at the black briefcase.

"Yeah, it's getting too easy, I think," her mood was improving with the help of caffeine, "Do you want to come with me to Gringotts?"

"Sure, I haven't been to the Marketplace in a while. I think we deserve a shopping spree."

The Marketplace was basically the magical equivalent of a mall. The name would have fit a hundred years ago and even though the layout reflects a modern society, no one thought to change it. Gringott's only American branch was also located there. You could only get there by floo powder. Like Hogwarts, no one could apparate to, from, or within, except for Marketplace Security. The floos are monitored and guarded so they know who comes and goes. Safety protocols have increased in recent years, in both the magical and muggle society in America. Allexia excused herself to get dressed, leaving Liz in the company of Ebony.

Elizabeth Brooke was Allexia's only female friend. She had a less than respectable career as a professional thief, so they got along well. The professional title only came recently, but six years ago when they first met, she was just a pickpocket. Liz was attempting to rob a man that Allexia was trying to catch. She had strict orders that no harm should come to the man and, not knowing what this hotheaded little blonde was going to do, she intervened. Liz wasn't too happy, but she calmed down when Allexia offered her a cut of the bounty. They've been best friends ever since. Liz has changed a lot since then, in appearance and in personality. Her hair, once long and flowing, is now cut short in a stylish bob. Dressed in the latest muggle fashions, nails perfectly manicured, and adorned in expensive jewelry, she scratched Ebony's head.

"Hey, Lexy, don't you own any other color besides black?" Allexia returned wearing her favorite leather duster and black pants. Their styles were opposites. Liz with her designer labels and color coordinated outfits, while Allexia preferred dark colors, leather, and jeans. Allexia held her jacket open to show a purple tank top with the word "dangerous" across the front in big black letters in answer to the question.

"Come on then!" cried her friend.

Allexia's apartment didn't have a fireplace so they had to use the one in the lobby. She really hated traveling this way, but she had no choice. Grabbing a handful of powder, she spoke as clearly as possible, "The Marketplace."


	2. Forgive Me

Thanks to the two people who reviewed and anyone who took the time to read the first chapter. Even though it's obvious to me, this story takes place right after OotP. Disclaimer from first chapter still stands. Hope you like it. Thanks.

"Can you forgive me again?  
I don't know what I said  
but I didn't mean to hurt you.

I heard the words come out,  
I felt like I would die  
it hurt so much to hurt you."

- _Forgive Me_, Evanescence

Chapter 2

Liz may look like a lawyer or business executive, but underneath she was a bit of a freak. As proven by her next comment as they flew down the track en route to Allexia's vault at Gringotts.

"I wonder how what a goblin's willy looks like." Not bothering to lower her voice, she said this like she was discussing the weather.

"Elizabeth! What the hell are you talking about? He'll hear you." They both looked at the small goblin directing the mine car. The smirk on his face and the look in his eyes told them that he had indeed heard. Finally reaching the vault, he opened the door and left Allexia to her business while he went to stand next to Liz. When she was finished, the goblin was whispering something to Liz making her giggle like a schoolgirl. Allexia arched an eyebrow, but said nothing. It wasn't until they were out of the bank and walking toward one of the department stores that Allexia asked what the goblin had said to her.

"Oh, he gave me his name and work schedule. Said he'd be glad to show me anytime," Liz wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"You're a sick bitch, Liz."

"What can I say? I'm curious. I've been reading this book about humans getting together with other magical species like goblins or centaurs. Very interesting stuff, I might add. My aunt shagged a centaur once, but she was drunk and didn't remember much."

"A centaur? Would that be considered bestiality or does having the upper-body of a man, make a difference?"

They stared at each other for a few moments pondering the question before breaking out in a fit of laughter. The next few hours were spent roaming from shop to shop, trying on clothes, buying things they didn't need, and generally acting like teenagers again. They headed to the food court to grab a bite to eat before going back to the apartment.

"Do you want to go to Pyro with me tonight?" Allexia asked as she put all her bags on the kitchen table. Pyro was a club that catered to witches and wizards. It had live bands, mostly heavy or black metal, but upstairs was a separate party room with a huge dance floor.

"Who's playing?"

"Heart's Discontent, I think, which should be awesome."

"I've got a job this evening so I probably won't make the show, but I'll meet you upstairs on the dance floor." Liz started to shrink her packages down so she could apparate to her place.

"Be careful. I'll see you later tonight, then."

With a pop, Liz was gone. Allexia levitated her bags into her bedroom, wondering what sort of thievery her friend was up to tonight. They tried not to talk about their jobs. All she knew was that Liz had started stealing information for big companies more than anything else. It seemed corporate spying paid much better than breaking into rich people's homes. Wanting to get some workout time in, she headed for the spare bedroom, which she converted into a gym.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore stood in the middle of the owlry trying to find the best owl for the job. Finally deciding on a large barn owl, he attached the letter to its leg, and told the bird where to take it. With anticipation he watched the owl take flight into the night sky. He silently prayed that she would read it and be willing to try again.

Minerva was waiting for him in their quarters. During the week she stayed in her rooms in the tower, but she was his on the weekends. Only their closest friends and select members of the Order knew of their true relationship. Lying next to her in bed with his arm around her waist, he felt content, but still troubled. Judging from her breathing he knew her to be asleep. Minerva knew nothing about Allexia, no one did. Even now, children born out of wedlock are frowned upon. It was worse thirty-five years ago. He would have been forced to resign or marry Allexia's mother. Neither was in love and Mia made it quite clear that she didn't want that sort of commitment from him. Mia agreed to stay in America and remain quiet about who Allexia's father was, but not to Allexia herself. She had always known she was the daughter of Albus Dumbledore and even though as a young child she didn't understand why she had to keep this a secret, she never told anyone her real name. He must tell Minerva at the very least. She had more of a right to know than any other person. He didn't know how or when, but he dreaded what her reaction will be when the time finally came. He fell asleep thinking of his daughter and the life she chose to lead.

* * *

The sound of drums and guitars assaulted her ears as she entered the club. She walked over to the bar and narrowly avoided being pulled into the mosh pit. A quick punch in the stomach took care of that. It took her nearly ten minutes just to get a beer. The place was crowded tonight, she thought as she took a look around.

"Hey, Lex!"

She turned to see who called her name. A man with brown hair smiled in her direction. "Adam!" she answered. He gave her a quick hug and eyed her up. He approved of her black leather pants and low cut black tank top that laced up the front.

"You look as hot as ever, girl."

"You don't look so bad yourself." He did look very sexy in blue jeans and tight black t-shirt. His arms were covered with tattoos, most of his body was. They had tried dating a few years ago, but they weren't cut out for a long-term relationship with each other. The sex was incredible, but there was no romance to it. Every now and then they'd have a one-night stand for old time's sake, usually after a couple beers. Perhaps tonight might be one of those nights, she thought.

"We're getting too old for this," she said, indicating the hoards of witches and wizards in their early twenties or younger.

"Never. We'll be coming here when we're old and gray. Let's go upstairs."

She followed him up the stairs, her mouth watering at the sight of his ass in those jeans. _Calm down, girl._ He bought her another beer and followed her out on the dance floor. About an hour later, Liz showed up. She found Allexia sandwiched between Adam and another darker skinned wizard, dancing seductively. She joined them.

"How did it go?" Allexia asked.

"Splendid, love."

They spent the next couple hours dancing like maniacs and flirting with anything with a pulse. Allexia found herself slightly tipsy and sitting in a darkened corner with someone sucking on her neck. His name was Pedro, she thought so, and he was more than ten years younger than her, but cute. She could also tell he was inexperienced and had no idea what he was doing. That was when she had an epiphany. What the hell was she doing? Is this what her life was reduced to? Preying on little boys to get a thrill.

"Sorry, sweetie," she said to him as she pushed him off. Before he knew what hit him, she had taken out her wand and muttered, "Obliviate." _I have to get out of here._ Quickly finding Liz, she told her she was heading home and invited her over for dinner the next night. Once back at her apartment, she stood on her balcony and watched the city below. It was about 2 in the morning. She was fine yesterday, what happened? _You suddenly realized how lonely you were._

An endless array of one-night stands had left her feeling empty inside. She was always afraid to let any man get close to her for fear of being hurt, like the last man she loved. When she was young, her father wasn't always around as much as she would have liked, but she loved him nonetheless. He was a hero in her eyes. Then he lied to her, and that was all shattered. She thought of her father and what he must be going through right now. She had read about Voldemort's return and her father's duel with him. It made her think that she may not have the chance to make amends with him. Did she want to make amends? That question always plagued her thoughts. Looking out into the night and thinking about how long it had been since anyone told her they loved her, her answer was yes.

"You are such a great cook, Lexy."

"Thanks, Liz."

They were eating mint and chip ice cream in the living room and listening to one of Allexia's Dead Can Dance CDs. They slipped into a companionable silence.

"Okay, Alexandria, what's on your mind? You only eat mint and chip ice cream when something's bothering you."

Allexia looked sheepish. "You know me too well. Last night was an awakening for me. I'm thirty-five and still trying to live like a twenty-one year old. I've never had a relationship that lasted more than a month and I've completed alienated myself from my family. I am utterly alone." Liz was about to protest. "Except for you, Liz," she added.

"Whoa, girl, that's some awakening. I understand completely though. I haven't spoken to my family in years. They don't know what I've become and I guess I just accepted the fact that I was on my own now."

Allexia put her arm around her friend, both finding the comfort they needed. "Maybe we should do something about our families. Try to heal the breach or something. If we get rejected then at least we have each other. I consider you the sister I never had, you know."

"That's so sweet, Lexy," Liz took a bite of her ice cream, "Let's do it then!" The younger witch was a bit too enthusiastic which led Allexia to believe that her heart wasn't completely in it, but she was going along with it for Allexia's sake.

"This calls for more ice cream!" She took Liz's bowl and ran to the kitchen to refill. A large barn owl swooped in through the open balcony door with a letter tied to its leg.

"Lexy, you've got an owl!" she called to the kitchen.

"Take it for me, will you?"

Liz untied the letter and was going to get the bird something to eat, when it took off out the window. She shrugged and looked at the letter, confusion showing on her face. She shouted toward the kitchen again.

"Hey, Lex, I think that owl made a mistake. This letter is addressed to an _Allexia Dumbledore_." CRASH! "Are you okay?"

She went to the kitchen, still holding the letter, to investigate. She found her friend standing over a broken ice cream bowl, her face pale. Allexia snapped out of it when she saw Liz standing there. "Must have slipped," she muttered, "Reparo."

Liz held up the letter. "It sealed with a Hogwarts stamp, so I'm assuming this Allexia must be related to the headmaster. Gods, I haven't thought about Hogwarts in years," she trailed on.

"May I see it?"

"Oh, here." Liz handed it over.

She recognized her father's handwriting immediately and her heart began to race. Does he want forgiveness? Does he want to sever all ties? Allexia was almost too nervous to find out. _Get over it! Two days ago you would have burned this on the spot without even considering what it said_. "Let's go back in the living room."

Sitting next to Liz, she clutched the letter like it was a fragile piece of porcelain. "The owl didn't make a mistake."

The younger woman stared blankly, "What do you mean?"

"That's my real name. I am Allexia Dumbledore. This letter is from my father."

Liz's face lost all color and she was stunned silent for several minutes. "You're a Dumbledore? Your father? You mean…" her eyes grew wide, "_Albus_ Dumbledore is your father?"

"My estranged father. We haven't seen or spoken to each other in fourteen years."

Liz was still doing an impression of a guppy. "Why? What happened?"

Allexia sighed and placed the letter on the coffee table. "I've never spoken about this to anyone, so please bear with me. He and my mother were never married. I was the product of a weekend fling, but I don't want to go into what my childhood was like." Liz nodded her understanding. Allexia continued, "My mother died when I was twelve. I was away at school in Salem at the time. Actually she was murdered, but my father thought it best that I didn't know that bit of information. I was told she fell or something and hit her head. I lived with that illusion for eight years. When my father came to visit me in Virginia for a month, he rented a small cottage. I came across a box full of papers. The muggle police report, as well as the autopsy report, was there. According to the police, she was the victim of foul play and the coroners said she died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds. There was also a wanted poster of the man suspected of murdering her, complete with reward. My father found me staring at his face. He didn't know what to say, so I blew up at him, yelling at him for keeping all that a secret from me. I couldn't see back then that he was just trying to protect me," she paused to compose herself, "Something inside me snapped that day. I left that night for Los Angeles. I had never been there before, but that was where the poster said this guy's last whereabouts were. I had enough money to get a small apartment. I bought my first gun and went to the shooting range everyday to practice. I started taking jujitsu and kung-fu classes. My life had become consumed by vengeance. I was going to find him and when I did, he would pay for taking my mom away from me."

"Did you ever find him?"

"It took me three years, but I finally did. I should have killed him outright, but the memory of my mother stopped me. She wouldn't have wanted me to become a killer like him, so I took him to the police and collected my reward. That was how I became a bounty hunter. It was all about bringing criminals to justice in the beginning, but now I just use it to vent my frustrations. I've become so cold and detached that I'll take any job as long as the price is right."

"Oh, Lexy, I had no idea you've had it so rough," she hugged her friend, tightly, "Why haven't I heard of Headmaster Dumbledore having a daughter?"

"My mother agreed to keep my paternity a secret in order to save my father's reputation. She could care less what people thought of her. She was just the potions teacher at a small wizarding school. He was the headmaster of the best magical institution in the world. She never denied the fact that he was more important."

Liz appeared to be lost in thought, seemingly trying to digest all this new information. "I still can't believe it. You're the daughter of one of the most powerful wizards of the age. He's legendary! Aren't you going to read the letter?"

Allexia stood up and began pacing the living room. "I can't read it," she cried, "You do it. Read it aloud."

"Are you sure?"

"Please?"

Liz took the letter from the table and broke the wax seal. Unfolding it carefully, she took a deep breath before speaking.

"_Dearest Allexia_," she closed her eyes and focused on Liz's voice, her English accent a reminder of her father, "_It has taken me fourteen years to gather enough courage to write anything more than that. I hope beyond hope that you read through this letter, instead of throwing it into the fire. I am not writing to beg your forgiveness; I do not deserve it. I should have told you the truth from the beginning, but my love for you blinded me from seeing the error of my ways. I have spent many nights wondering what might have been if I had used that love to help you cope with the truth. It might have brought us closer together. I have been a terrible father. Long before Mia's death, I wasn't there enough for you. I had more time for my students than I had for you and for that I am ashamed. You should have come first. A close friend told me today that you could do nothing to change the past and everything to change the future. I would like to be a part of your future and for you to be a part of mine. _

_I know I can never make up for lost time or give you the happy childhood you should have had, but we can start again. I want to get to know my daughter, whomever she has become. I will not judge you and I will understand completely if you wish to have nothing more to do with me. I wish you to know just how sorry I am for causing you additional pain and for betraying your trust. I beg you, Allexia, to think about the future. Quite simply put, I miss you. I have never stopped loving you and long to hold you in my arms once again. I will respect any decision you make, but remember that Hogwarts is always open to you. I wish you good health and happiness, little one. Love, your father, Albus Dumbledore._"

Both women had tears running down their faces when Liz finished reading. Allexia took the letter and stood by the balcony door re-reading it. Liz broke the silence after about ten minutes.

"You did say we should try to heal the breach with our families. He just made the first move, Lex, what are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure what I'm feeling. I think I'd like to be alone for a while." Liz took that as her cue to leave. She hugged her friend one last time before apparating. Walking around in a daze, Allexia cleaned up before heading to bed. She fell asleep reading the letter for the twentieth time.


	3. Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again

I know this is slow starting, but just bear with me. : -) Thanks to everyone who's reading.

"You were once my one companion,  
you were all that mattered.  
You were once a friend and father,  
then my world was shattered."

- _Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, _Phantom of the Opera, Charles Hart

Chapter 3

Liz looked to see who was knocking at her door and discovered it was Frank Sinatra wearing a poncho and sombrero, selling tamales. With a smile, she flung open the door. "How have you been, Lexy?" It had been two days since the letter arrived and she hadn't heard anything.

Allexia walked into Liz's lavish penthouse with a bag slung over her shoulder. "I'm okay now. I just needed some time to think about everything."

"So what did you decide?"

"My portkey leaves in an hour. I'm going Hogwarts."

"That's wonderful! Say hello to my old head of house, Professor Flitwick, if he's still there. I was a Ravenclaw."

"I will. Adam is going to be staying at my place until I come back so you don't have to worry about feeding Ebony."

Liz grinned evilly, "Maybe I'll come over and feed Adam something then."

"You're dirty, Liz!" They both laughed.

"I learned from the best," came Liz's retort.

"Well I've got a few errands to run before I go, but I couldn't leave without saying goodbye."

The women hugged each other for a long time. Allexia used Liz's fireplace to floo to the Marketplace and after taking enough money out of her vault to last at least two weeks, she headed for the Office of Magical Transportation. She was one of five people going to King's Cross, Platform 9 ¾. Precisely on time, she felt the tug from behind her belly button, and seconds later she was standing on the train platform courtesy of a tennis racket.

"Hogwart's Express to Hogsmeade, now boarding!"

Allexia gathered up her nerves and climbed aboard the famous train. She found an empty cabin and made herself at home. She stared lamely out the window trying not to think about the fact that she would be facing her father in a few hours. Once the train left the station she took the time to admire the passing scenery, this was her first visit to the UK after all. She was about to doze off when the door opened and a haggard looking wizard stepped in.

"Sorry to bother you. I was hoping to find a bit of peace and quiet, but everywhere else is full of chatty people. Do you mind if I join you?" he asked.

"I don't mind at all," Allexia replied, motioning to the empty seats.

"Thanks," he sat down across from her and ran his hands through his grayish-brown hair, "My name is Remus."

She smiled politely. "I'm Alexandria." He looked like he hadn't had a good night sleep in a week. His robes were frayed in places and his boots, scuffed and torn.

"American?" She nodded. "Where are you from?"

"Los Angeles. This is my first time out here." Allexia thought that he would look quite handsome all cleaned up.

Even though he had wanted peace and quiet, they spent the next half hour in pleasant, meaningless conversation, neither delving into personal details. It suited the both of them. Running out of things to say about the landscape or weather, the man fell asleep. Allexia followed suit, but only after grabbing a glass of wine off the trolley. The sun began to set and it would probably be dinnertime when she got to Hogwarts. She hadn't informed her father of her arrival, opting instead to surprise him. The man was gone when she awoke as the train pulled to a stop.

Hogsmeade seemed a nice enough place. It reminded her of some of the small wizarding towns in Massachusetts. Living in Los Angeles so long made her feel out of place in the quaint little village. She could see the lights of the castle in the distance and set off straight for them.

* * *

Dumbledore hadn't eaten much since he sent off the letter. Minerva watched him under hooded eyes as he played with his food. Hagrid was telling everyone what new words Grawp had learned and how much he was growing, much to everyone's concern. Albus noticed the woman next to him glancing at his untouched plate and decided he must eat something or else she'd be berating him later. _Why hasn't she answered my letter_? He told her he would respect any decision she made, but the lack of any response was killing him inside. He focused on Hagrid's enthusiastic account of being thrown up against a tree by his little brother. Anything to take his mind off his daughter.

* * *

She looked up at the castle in wonder. _Just like in a fairytale._She wasn't prepared for the sheer size of the school. Allexia stood in front of the entrance doors, deliberating whether to knock or just let herself in. She decided to just walk in. The entrance hall was lined with torches casting eerie shadows on the walls. She had no idea where to go from here.

"May I help you?"

The voice caused her to jump. She hadn't heard anyone approach and when she turned around she knew why. A ghost hovered in the air in front of her. She swallowed hard.

"I'm looking for Albus Dumbledore. Do you know where I might find him?"

"The staff is having dinner in the Great Hall. I can show you the way, if you wish." She nodded. "Follow me, then. I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington."

Allexia couldn't help but smile. "I am Alexandria Price."

"A pleasure, Miss Price."

She noticed the paintings on the wall watching her every move. Some were jumping from frame to frame, following her progress. Suits of armor turned their helmets in her direction as she passed. It was really starting to creep her out.

"You are from America?" asked Sir Nicholas.

"Yes, I live in California. This is my first time to Hogwarts."

"What do you think of it?"

She sent sidelong glance towards a painting on her right and smiled. "It's very interesting."

"Almost there, Miss Price. I'll take you to the teacher's entrance."

Her heart started beating faster and butterflies were moving in swarms inside her stomach. Did she really want to do this in front of the staff? Maybe she should wait for him outside his office or something. _No, you wanted to surprise him, remember? _The ghost stopped outside a door.

"Right through here, my lady." Allexia began to panic again.

"I don't want to interrupt their dinner. Perhaps I'll just wait outside."

"Nonsense, no one will mind. Would you like me to announce you?"

"No, that's not necessary. Thank you, Sir Nicholas."

He left her staring at the door, sucking in big gulps of air. She looked down at her clothes; black pants, navy blue blouse, and her ever-present leather duster. She had decided to go for a more business-type look. Opening the door a little, she glimpsed inside the Great Hall, trying to spy her father. From her position he was obscured from view. All the teachers wore robes, making Allexia feel decidedly underdressed. Most of her clothes were muggle. She had one set of robes that she wore once three years ago. _Now or never._ Mumbling a prayer to the gods, she pushed the door open the rest of the way.

It was really quite amusing to watch Severus' face twitch when Sybill was trying to talk to him, thought Dumbledore. She was telling him that the position of Venus in Sagittarius meant that romance was in his near future. That woman really didn't know when to quit with the potions master. Shaking his head, he went back to his custard.

No one had noticed her standing in the doorway. Slowly and quietly she began to walk towards the table. He came into view three steps in. His ridiculously purple hat was the first thing she noticed. His white beard sparkled against his darker robes and he seemed much thinner now. The years are catching up to him, she thought fleetingly. She hadn't realized she'd stopped moving to just gaze at her father. She knew that many of the frown lines on his face were caused by her absence.

Feeling someone watching him, he turned his head and jumped out of his seat when he caught sight of familiar blue eyes. His abrupt movement startled the staff, and then they saw Allexia. No one said anything. Father and daughter simply stood staring at the other. Allexia couldn't move. She knew that everyone was watching them, but she was too nervous to move any farther. Dumbledore gained a little composure and moved unsteadily towards her until they were only one step apart. He could see the apprehension in her eyes; they were reflected in his own no doubt. She couldn't say any of the things she thought of on the train. It seemed so easy when she was talking to an empty chair. Allexia swallowed to lubricate her dry throat.

"Surprise," she whispered.

"Indeed." The headmaster was at a loss for words.

"I, uh, got your letter." _Oh that was good! _"Obviously," she added, "Can we talk somewhere a little more private?"

He had forgotten completely about the staff. "Of course," he turned to his colleagues, "If you will excuse me?" He led her out the door, avoiding the looks of confusion and curiosity on everyone's face. "We can speak in my chambers."

The walk to his office was awkward. Allexia focused on her surroundings to take her mind off her discomfort. The silence drove her insane, so she opted for meaningless small talk.

"I had no idea Hogwarts was this big."

He was relieved when she broke the silence and her voice didn't have the same edge as when he last heard it. "It is very easy to get lost. How did you manage to find the Great Hall?"

"I met Sir Nicholas at the entrance and he showed me where to find you."

Dumbledore uttered the password ("Everlasting gobstopper") to the gargoyle and she couldn't help giggling. Willy Wonka was one of his favorite movies. They passed through his office and into a door disguised as a bookcase. Allexia looked around her father's living room with envy. It was bigger than her apartment.

"Please sit down," he said, "Would like something to drink? Tea?"

"Hot chocolate, please."

He smiled warmly and soon two mugs of hot chocolate sat in front of them on the table. He also conjured up some cookies. Once again the silence reigned, neither of them knowing where to start or how. Allexia found herself playing with her braid, seemingly fascinated by the carpet. You didn't come all the way to Hogwarts to have hot chocolate, she thought. _Say something!_

"I had everything figured out on the train. I knew exactly what I was going to say to you and how I was going to say it, but I am completely lost now."

He set down his mug. "I guess that's why I wrote you a letter, though even _that_ was hard. I must admit that I am surprised you are being this civil towards me."

She chanced a look at him. "I did some serious thinking since I read it two days ago. I was horrible to you when we last spoke, I realize that now, and it would do no good to offer an encore performance." She stood up and moved to get a closer look at the pictures on the mantle. "Your letter was perfectly timed, by the way. I had decided to reevaluate my life and my friend and I made a deal with each other to heal the breach in our family relationships. It took me this long to come to terms with what you did. Part of me will never forgive you, but I understand the reasons behind it. I don't hate you. I never did."

She returned to the sofa and tentatively her hand sought his. Both were overcome with emotion at the sensation of physical contact after all the years. Albus shifted to face her and took her other hand.

"I have missed you tremendously, Allexia. Not a day went by that I didn't think of you or regret my actions. Is it too late to start over?"

Every barrier she had built up in the last fourteen years crumbled at the raw desperation she saw in those blue eyes. She threw her arms around him, choking back a sob. His arms welcomed her and held her tightly, not willing to take the chance she might vanish like a dream. Allexia held nothing back. This was what she had been missing the most. She hadn't cried this much since the day she was told her mother was dead. He wept too, but whispered comforting words into her ear. Her body finally ceased its shaking and reluctantly he released her.

"I love you, little one." She always hated being called that, but now it was the most wonderful thing she had ever heard.

She hugged him again and whispered, "I love you too, Daddy."

Hours later, Dumbledore watched the sleeping girl, no woman, in his arms. She was exhausted. He studied her face, youthful in slumber, but with a few lines around the eyes. Not surprising, he thought. Allexia had spent the last two hours telling him all about her life up to this point. About finding her mother's murderer, taking any job for the right price, having a string of short lived romances, and finally about her wakeup call. He couldn't imagine going through all that. Their lifestyles were so different, but they made a promise to get to know and accept one another no matter what. Holding his daughter in his arms after so long began to fill the void that existed in his heart when she walked out of his life. Kissing her softly on the forehead, he fell asleep with a smile on his face.

Minerva entered the bedroom by way of a secret passage that connected her room to his. She hadn't seen Albus since he left dinner with that woman. It wasn't like him to keep her in the dark. Looking to the bed, she saw that it hadn't been touched. He must still be awake, she thought. Making her way from the bedroom to the living room, she could hear his light snores. Minerva found him sleeping on the sofa, arms wrapped protectively around the woman. Another witch might have been quite put out to find their significant other holding a younger woman, a smile still evident on his face. Minerva wondered at her non-existent temper, but the picture before her seemed right somehow. They seemed physical opposites of each other, his white hair and pale skin against her black hair and dark tan. The woman had an exotic, Asian look to her, but she saw some similarities in their noses and ears. _Who is she?_

Unfinished hot chocolate and cookies sat forgotten on the table. She cleaned it up with her wand and levitated a blanket onto them. In the morning he would have a lot of explaining to do, but for now, she was simply happy to see such a peaceful expression on his face.


	4. This Time

"But it's not the way it used to be right now.  
You come so far to just let this go my friend  
the same way you did the last time.  
You'll break when you fall.  
Don't make the same mistakes you did all over.  
You've got to believe in yourself this time."

- _This Time, _3 Doors Down

Chapter 4

When Dumbledore awoke the next morning he was relieved to know that it wasn't all a dream. He noticed that the coffee table had been cleaned and a tartan blanket covered them. _Minerva._ There was a faint lingering of her perfume. She'd have a hundred questions no doubt.

"Allexia?" He gently nudged her sleeping form. Her eyes fluttered open and it took her brain a few seconds to register where she was. She sat up slowly.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep on you, Dad."

"That's quite alright, dear."

A large grandfather clock chimed seven times. Allexia wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep, but there was too much to do and see in this place. She searched through her bag and took out a silver flask.

"Bit early for spirits, don't you think?" Dumbledore said, as she took a long drink.

"It's just an energy potion. My body's still on California time," she downed the whole thing, "Ah, better than coffee some days. Can I use your shower?"

"Of course. It's right through there."

Allexia paused before opening the door and turned to face him. "You would think from the pleasant conversation we just had that nothing had gone amiss between us. It's like nothing had ever happened. No bitterness in my voice or anything. Funny how things turn out."

"I agree," he moved closer, "I wasn't expecting this, but I'm glad it worked out this way."

"I think that if we had tried this any sooner it wouldn't have been so easy. We've both reached points in our lives where we're ready to move on without all the excess baggage." She kissed him on the cheek, "I'll be right out."

She walked into his bathroom and knew that she wouldn't be _right out._ This place is bigger than my bedroom, she thought. The bathtub alone was as large as a king-size bed, with depressions on the sides so you could sit, and it must have been three feet deep. An underwater scene was painted on the bottom and sides. Various marine life swam in and out of view. _Wow._ A separate shower stall was situated in the corner. Allexia debated whether to try out the tub or just grab a quick shower. In the end she chose the shower, but would be back later for the bath.

She set her bag down on the counter and took out clean clothes. She enlarged and pressed them with her wand. Something near the sink drew her attention. There were two toothbrushes in the seashell holder. Her eyes traveled down the countertop and found a bottle of perfume and some lotion. _Either Dad's gone gay or he has a live-in girlfriend._ Shrugging, she shed her clothes and hopped into the stall. The long brown hair she found stuck to a shampoo bottle confirmed that her father still liked women. Allexia wondered who she was and how she was going to react to her presence. _No one knows I'm his daughter. What if he wants to keep it that way?_

* * *

While his daughter was in the shower, Dumbledore went to his bedroom to freshen up. A change of robes and a quick cleaning spell later, he was back in the living room looking through a photo album. There was a knock at the door. Just from the sound he knew it was the deputy headmistress.

"Good morning, Headmaster," she said a bit too cheery, "May I come in?" Not waiting for an answer she hobbled past him and sat on the sofa. She looked around for that woman, but saw no one.

"She's taking a shower, Professor," he shook his head at her innocent expression. "I know you were here last night, Minerva, your perfume gave you away."

"Albus, who is this woman and why was she sleeping in your arms?" Minerva was never one to beat around the bush.

"Jealously does not become you, my dear." She shot him one of her infamous glares in response. "Her name is Allexia."

She interrupted him, "Sir Nicholas told me her name was Alexandria Price and she was American."

"She uses a false name in her line of work. Her real name is Allexia Celeste Dumbledore," he took a deep breath, "She is my daughter."

Allexia opened the door, but stopped suddenly when she heard voices. There was a woman with a slight Scottish accent talking to her father.

"Your daughter?" She heard the woman say. Allexia decided to hang out here for a bit to see her reaction. The lady went on, "Since when did you have a daughter!"

"Since she was born thirty-five years ago."

"Just when were you planning on telling me, Albus? Were you ever?" Minerva's voice was clipped, betraying her temper, "You never told me you were married, either. I thought we knew everything about each other."

Albus knew he had to calm her down quickly. He knew never to mess with an angry Minerva McGonagall. "I met her mother while visiting some of the wizarding schools in America and we had a brief affair that lasted a weekend. We were not romantically involved, so marriage was not an option. Allexia was kept a secret, while her mother raised her in America."

Her temper was starting to dissipate, but Minerva was still in shock. "To save your reputation, no doubt. If the school governors had found out that you had an illegitimate child, they would have sacked you. But what of the mother, did you give any consideration for her reputation?"

Allexia smiled at the sudden defense of her mother. _I like this woman._ "Her mother didn't care about that. I actually suggested we get married, but Mia refused me." Allexia didn't know about that. Her father continued, "I would visit Allexia nearly every summer. No one suspected a thing."

"But why is she here now? The board may still frown upon this."

Allexia chose that moment to make herself known. If her being here was going to put her father's job in jeopardy, she would leave immediately. Knowing about Lord Voldemort, this school needed him more than she did. She purposely closed the door hard to announce her presence. They both turned at the noise.

"If that is the case, I will leave," she said walking towards them, "I don't want to ruin anything."

Minerva gazed at the younger woman standing in front of her. Her long black hair was braided again and she wore muggle clothing. Her eyes caught Minerva's attention. She had never seen anyone with the same color blue as Albus'. They even had a familiar twinkle. Her athletic figure was nearly as tall as her father. Minerva thought she was striking.

"Nonsense! I don't wish to keep you a secret any longer. I've spent the last fourteen years without a daughter. I want to shout it from the Astronomy Tower that you are my little girl!" The ferocity in her father's conviction touched her deeply.

"She's hardly a little girl, Albus," Minerva said blandly, causing Allexia to laugh. The older witch stood up, leaning on her cane. "Aren't you going to introduce us, Headmaster?"

"Yes, absolutely! Allexia, this is Professor Minerva McGonagall. Professor, may I present my daughter." He watched with relief and happiness as they shook hands.

"I'm afraid, Miss Dumbledore, that I am still in shock of your relation to the headmaster."

"Please call me Lexy," insisted Allexia, "I've never used the name Dumbledore in public. I suppose you could call me Miss Price, if you need to. Don't worry, Professor, _I'm_ still in shock that I'm here at Hogwarts and in the same room with your headmaster."

Minerva's puzzlement was apparent. Allexia thought she knew of their difficulties. She gave the short version. "I'll just say that Dad and I had a falling out many years ago and it's taken 'til now to patch things up."

Albus moved to put his arm around his daughter. He still couldn't believe that they were starting anew. Minerva looked to Albus for assurance. She now understood him better. All those haunted, depressing looks in his eyes that he thought she hadn't seen were beginning to make sense. How awful, she thought. Her mind returned to last night in the Great Hall when they just stood, unmoving, staring at the other. Albus, as usual, knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Last night was the first time we'd seen each other in fourteen years," he said.

"Why so long?"

"You will have to ask Allexia. I will leave it for her to decide whom she wishes to know." Allexia looked back and forth between them. She didn't want to tell anybody else the details, at least not yet. Thankfully, Minerva picked up on her unwillingness.

"That's alright, Lexy, it was improper of me to ask. But if you wish to talk, I've been told I'm a good listener."

Allexia smiled graciously. Albus was the happiest he'd been in years, even with Voldemort off plotting their domination. He felt eighty years younger. "I had hoped that the two women I love most in the world would get along. I see that I have nothing to worry about." He enjoyed the surprised expressions on both their faces. Minerva began to turn a brilliant shade of red. His daughter merely laughed.

"I guess it must be your hair I found stuck to the shampoo bottle," Allexia told the older witch, "And all those lotions? I hoped they weren't Dad's."

The deputy headmistress' face slowly returned to its normal hue. She laughed softly, seeing the amusement in the situation. "Only a few friends know of our relationship though. You don't mind keeping it a secret?"

"Believe me, I know how to keep secrets. If you two are happy, then I'm happy too." Allexia meant it completely. She liked Minerva and they looked so right together. "Must have been awkward when you found us asleep on the couch last night, huh?"

Her father and Minerva both asked how she knew. Allexia shrugged her shoulders. "I track people for a living. You left your scent behind and your walking stick left impressions on the rug. I learned to see little things like that."

The couple seemed impressed. "Just what do you do for a living?" asked Minerva.

Allexia noticed a fleeting expression of dread appear on her father's face. He tried to conceal it, but wasn't fast enough. He may not like her job, but he vowed to accept her no matter what. She stood up slightly taller and her countenance hardened out of reflex. She contemplated telling her any number of normal vocations, but she couldn't stand to lie.

"I'm a bounty hunter," her voice sounding more harsh than she intended. She stared at Minerva waiting for her to pass judgement. It never came. The deputy headmistress nodded once before suggesting they go on to breakfast, but the older witch saw the apprehension in both their eyes at her question. There is more to this than I know, she thought.

Allexia had taken down some of the most dangerous fugitives and lately found herself working for some of the toughest criminals, but she found herself terrified at the prospect of being introduced to the Hogwart's staff. Minerva had been kind enough to help her transfigure some robes and promised to go shopping with her later. When the professor wasn't looking she made it a bit more form fitting, so she didn't feel like she was wearing a circus tent. Minerva had gone into the Great Hall ahead of them.

"Are you sure you want everyone to know about me, Dad? What about Voldemort?"

Dumbledore stopped in his tracks. _How could I have been so blind?_ Riddle shouldn't know about Allexia's relation to him for the same reason he shouldn't know about Minerva. "You're absolutely right! We can't tell the general public, but I will introduce you as my daughter to the Order."

"The Order?"

"I'll explain later in private, so don't bring it up. Let's go, I'm starving."

She followed her father into the Great Hall and gawked at the ceiling. They didn't have that at Salem, she thought. Most of the staff had already assembled. They eyed her with interest, some smiled, and others looked indifferent. Dumbledore motioned for her to take the seat next to his. The last teacher to arrive stormed through the doors, menacing in his black robes. He sat at the far end of the table. The headmaster stood up.

"Nice of you to join us this morning, Severus." The Potions Master gave no acknowledgement. "Before we stuff ourselves silly I wish to apologize for my sudden departure from dinner and to introduce an old friend from America. Miss Alexandria Price will be staying with us for the next two weeks, so please make her feel welcome."

Allexia smiled at the professors closest to her. Minerva sat on the other side of her father, leaving Allexia next to a tiny old wizard.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, Miss Price. I'm Filius Flitwick." The little man seemed very nice.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor, I was actually told to tell you hello from someone."

He paused consuming his toast. "Oh? From who?"

"My friend, Elizabeth Brooke. I believe she was in your house."

He squealed excitedly. "I remember Miss Brooke. How is she? I recall her being quite a precocious young witch."

"She lives in LA, not far from where I do. She, um, works in Muggle Relations." Allexia couldn't think of anything better than that. It was a hell of a lot better than professional thief, she surmised.

"I remember Miss Brooke, Filius," Minerva joined in, "Precocious isn't quite the word I would use to describe her. Promiscuous is more like it. I don't remember how many times I caught her in the Gryffindor boy's dorms!"

Allexia couldn't help but laugh out loud and her father smiled at the sound. "That's sounds just like Liz, but she is pretty smart. She knows more about computers than anyone I know." Seeing confounded looks on the teacher's faces, she added, "Computers are muggle contraptions. They are quite complicated."

Allexia couldn't help but notice what a peculiar collection of witches and wizards made up Hogwart's faculty. There would be time after breakfast for more formal introductions. She glanced down the table and came upon the dark haired wizard who was reading the paper and ignoring everyone around him. He was so engrossed in an article that his shoulder length hair hid his face. Only when he looked up to reach for his coffee did she see him clearly. His features were sharp and defined, but his nose was bit on the crooked side, like it had been broken before. His eyes were what held her attention. Two shining obsidian orbs that focused so intently on the coffee cup, she was sure it would shatter. He looked in her direction, feeling her penetrating gaze. She gave him a small smile before returning to her own coffee. A few minutes later, she looked down the table again, only to see the back of his retreating form heading out the door.

* * *

"Illumino," he muttered, causing all the candles in his office to burn brightly. They cast eerie shadows on the gray dungeon walls. Snape slammed the copy of the Daily Prophet onto the desk and sat down angrily. The picture that graced the front page showed a small cottage in a secluded glen. It would have been a lovely place to retire if not for the glowing skull floating above it. The mark's presence invaded the serenity of the home like a pestilence. The headline read, 'You-Know-Who Strikes Again!'

Guilt weighed heavily on his conscience. Nothing he could have done would have prevented this from happening, no matter how hard he tried, but it still stung. He had been ostracized from the Dark Lord's inner circle, which made learning any relevant information, _in time_, impossible. His Death Eater purpose now was to brew dangerous potions and to give false or misleading information about Dumbledore. Snape began reading the article for the fifth time, offhandedly wondering who hired such an inarticulate reporter.

_'The Jacobsons were found dead at their summer cottage last night after a neighbor  
__noticed a mysterious glow emanating from their property. Upon investigation the neighbor,  
__Lawrence Critcher, 64, was shocked to discover it was, in fact, the dreaded Dark Mark of  
__He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named shining in the night sky. He immediately contacted the Ministry  
__and aurors arrived to secure the area. Derek Jacobson, 36, was found in the living room, hung by  
__his neck from the chandelier. His wife of six years, Margaret Jacobson nee Brooke, 36, was found  
__facedown in their bedroom. The only visible marks were deep cuts on the palms of her hands.  
__Aurors deduced she was most likely done in by the Killing Curse. The couple's four-year-old twin  
__boys were missing from the house, taken, no doubt, for some despicable purpose. A thorough  
__search of the area revealed no clues as to their whereabouts.'_

The kidnapping of the children was what bothered Snape the most. He had heard nothing of that particular part of the plan, only that there would be an attack on the family. Unfortunately the exact time of said attack was not given to him, therefore preventing the Order from stopping the tragic events. He had no idea what the Dark Lord wanted with the twins or what significance the cuts on the mother's palms meant. The professor exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples. As of late he had been questioning his value as a double agent since none of the information he could gather seemed to be of any use to the Order. He was not looking forward to their meeting tonight. At least with Black dead, he thought, there would be no one to point out his failure. He could almost hear him from the beyond. 'Nice going, Snivellus, tell me why you're so important to the Order again?'

He closed his eyes and thought of the woman Dumbledore introduced at breakfast. The headmaster's reaction to her appearance last night caused quite a stir amongst the staff. He'd caught her staring at him and found something familiar in her eyes. In an effort to occupy his mind, Snape decided to re-catalogue his potion stores, not really caring that he'd already done that yesterday.

* * *

Shopping in Hogsmeade was a lot different than shopping at the Marketplace and Allexia found that she preferred the less confusing and friendlier little village. Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch took her into every shop. Allexia managed to find a couple of nice robes, a cloak, and new boots. She especially enjoyed Honeyduke's, where she bought way too much candy including plenty of lemon drops for her father and herself. The women were relaxing at the café before heading back to Hogwarts. Allexia finished off her cappucino then popped open a bag of lemon drops.

"Lemon drop?" she offered to both teachers. Minerva couldn't help but smile at how much she reminded her of Albus, but declined the offer.

"You're just as bad as the headmaster!" cried Hooch, who also declined.

If you only knew the half of it, thought Allexia. They sat out on the terrace and she took a second to watch the various people go by. The one thing she noticed above all else was the amount of aurors, however it looked like most of them were trying to blend in with the villagers. Occasionally an auror on a patrol would walk by, but there were others pretending to be street sweepers, window washers, or sidewalk vendors. The increased security around Hogwarts was understandable, but she had to surpress a giggle at some of them. Allexia prided herself on being able to see through a disguise and sniffing out an undercover cop a mile away. She wondered if her companions knew that their waiter was really an auror incognito.

Minerva watched as Allexia went up to the counter to buy a pastry 'for the road' as she called it. The younger witch was flirting with their waiter, laughing at something he said.

"Do you know anything about her, Minerva?" asked Hooch.

"I know as much as you, Rolanda, Albus hasn't told me anything." She hated lying to her friend, but the headmaster expressly said that only members of the Order were to know of Allexia's true identity and although the flying instructor knew of her relationship with Albus, Minerva would let him decide who outside the Order would know of his daughter.


	5. Falling Again

As always, thanks for the reviews. They encourage me. : -)

"I lay, look in my hands, searching these lines  
I've not the answer.  
I'm crying and I don't know.  
Watching the sky, I search an answer.

I'm free, free to be,  
I'm not another liar  
I just want to be myself...myself."

- _Falling Again_, Lacuna Coil

Chapter 5

The Order's meeting was set for ten o'clock that night in the cellar of the Three Broomsticks, with Sirius gone it didn't feel right using his house, so the meeting place was constantly changing. They no longer had a headquarters, but they made due just fine. Dumbledore had spent the afternoon filling his daughter in on what was going on with Voldemort and all about the Order of the Phoenix. He told her she didn't have to join, but he wanted the group to be aware of her existence, mainly to help protect her in case Voldemort discovered her. Allexia told her father she wanted to join.

"I don't know what help I'll be in America, but I would like to try."

"That's very brave of you, dear. I think your skills could be useful to the Order." He didn't want to think that in two weeks she would be returning to LA, but he had an idea of how to keep her at Hogwarts a bit longer, if she agreed that is.

Madam Rosmerta passed drinks around the room at five minutes to ten. The only member unaccounted for was Dumbledore himself, as he was always the last to arrive. The cellar was filled with witches and wizards of varying ages and styles. The room wouldn't hold enough chairs to accommodate everyone, so many stood against the walls. Dumbledore opened the door slowly, the occupants taking their cue for silence. Rosmerta was ready with hot chocolate in hand. He thanked her quietly and walked to the middle of the room.

"Thank you, friends, for coming. I especially wish to thank Madam Rosmerta for the use of her cellar and for providing the refreshments."

"Hear, hear!" cried Fred and George Weasley, lifting their butter beers in salute.

Dumbledore continued, "There is something I wish to address before we officially begin. Remus, could you please let the young woman waiting outside the door in?"

Whispers began immediately amongst the group. Mad-Eye Moody watched the door suspiciously, his wand at the ready. Remus opened the door and glanced up the stairs, recognizing the witch as the same one from the train.

"Alexandria?"

"Remus!" Allexia was surprised to see the wizard she met yesterday greeting her at the door. She could see the questions swimming in his eyes.

"I believe you're expected." He motioned for her to come in. Taking a deep breath, she slowly descended the stairs and entered the room. Allexia felt the magic protecting the door as she passed over the threshold. Her father stood smiling, but motionless, in the middle of the room, surrounded by at least forty other witches and wizards. She recognized some as Hogwart's staff, but most were alien to her. Allexia took her father's outstretched hand and came to rest beside him. Minerva gave her an encouraging smile.

"Some of you have already been introduced to this woman, but not truly. The name she is commonly known by is Alexandria Price, but her real name is Allexia…Allexia Dumbledore and she is my only child."

The atmosphere in the room changed in an instant. No one really said anything; they just gawked at her or each other. Some were looking between Allexia and Minerva trying to find a resemblance, wondering if perhaps the deputy headmistress was her mother. Allexia found the situation somewhat amusing.

"Since her birth, the fact that she is my daughter has been kept secret from the wizarding world," said the headmaster, "I do not want to go into the details, at this time. I am telling all of you this because she may need our protection if certain parties were to learn of her relation to me. I need not tell you that this must remain within the Order. To the outside world, she is simply a visiting friend. Furthermore, Allexia wishes to join us."

Mad-Eye rose from his chair and hobbled to the center of the cellar. His magical eye looked her over as he circled around her. Allexia felt like she was being inspected for purchase. He came back around to face her, making her feel uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

"Why do you wish to join us?" he asked gruffly.

Good question, she thought. _Why do I want to join?_ Her father hadn't even asked her that question and now she was being interrogated by Colombo here. She saw that everyone was anticipating her response, while her father was conveniently looking away. _Dammit, say something!_

"To be honest, I only found out about you guys this afternoon, so I'm still a bit fuzzy on what exactly the Order does. I do know that it's a helluva lot more than what your Ministry was or is willing to do from what I've read in the Daily Prophet. I may be an American, but I have a subscription. I guess the main reason I want to join is my father." Dumbledore turned and looked her in the eyes. "I wish to help him, and all of you, rid the world of that evil wizard and his influence. I think that I may have some skills that would be useful, besides I'm sure you could use all the extra help you can get."

Moody, not yet satisfied, spoke again. "This group depends on trust, missy, how can we be sure you won't betray us?"

"For Merlin's sake, Alastor, you don't even trust _me_! She's Albus' daughter and his faith in her should be enough for us all," shouted Minerva, tired of Moody's paranoia. There were a few murmurs of agreement. Allexia smiled at her, appreciating the intervention.

"Listen, Alastor, was it? I am not in league with the Dark Lord. I was born and raised in America, my only knowledge of him comes from newspapers and what little my father has told me. I understand your concerns about trust. I hardly trust anyone except myself."

Dumbledore moved toward Moody. "Alastor, your caution is duly noted, but I believe we should leave it for the vote to decide."

"If I may, Headmaster?" came a deep, rich voice from a back corner. Allexia looked in his direction and met eyes with the dark professor she had watched at breakfast. Her gut instinct told her to be wary of this one. She shivered unexpectedly when he spoke again. "Miss Price, just what are these skills that you feel would benefit the Order?"

"I had three years of auror training with the Magical Protection Agency. I was Dueling Champion my sixth and seventh years at Salem. I am also well practiced in muggle hand-to-hand combat and firearms. But, most importantly, I have contacts all over the world, muggle and wizard, on both sides of the law."

"Impressive, but we have plenty of aurors, what makes you so special?" Allexia saw the sarcasm dripping off his comments. _If these people aren't going to be satisfied until they know exactly what I am, then so be it!_

"I never said I was an auror. I dropped out prior to graduating for reasons that I would rather not go into."

"So what do you do, then?"

Her father gave her a look before focusing on someone else. She had a feeling he didn't want all his supporters to know that his daughter was basically a criminal. This was something they needed to get past though, so she answered the man's question.

"I was a bounty hunter for many years, but recently there seems to me a lesser need for us. What started out as a thirst for justice soon became a thirst for cash. It consumed most of my time; so holding down a 'day job' was out of the question. I was in debt up to my ears, so I became a sort of free agent, taking jobs from practically anybody. Recovery of stolen possessions; finding people who wanted to stay hidden; kidnapping; if the price is right, I'll do just about anything except sex or murder. My employers are mainly criminals, more muggles than wizards." She became painfully aware that everyone, but her father was staring at her in shock. "I know that I'm not what you'd expect for being the daughter of one of the greatest wizards of our time, but give me the chance to show you that I'm more than just a hired gun."

"All those in favor of her joining, speak now." Most of the witches and wizards in the room said, 'aye'. "All those opposed?"

No one said a word. Allexia noticed that the professor in black said neither ye nor nay. She released the breath she wasn't aware she had been holding. Feeling both exposed and comforted, she smiled. Perhaps I should have tried group therapy long ago, she thought. Her father spoke again, "Now, shall we move on with our meeting?"

They stayed in the cellar for another hour, speaking of various missions and possible strategies. Allexia was just closing her eyes, when she heard Remus reading an article from the Daily Prophet. Something he said caught her attention.

"His wife of six years, Margaret Jacobson nee Brooke, was found facedown in their bedroom. The only visible marks were deep cuts on the palms of her hands…"

_Brooke? Doesn't Liz have a sister?_ Allexia searched her mind for the answer. Liz very rarely talked about her family. _Maggie! Liz said she used to put frogs under her sister, Maggie's, bedcovers. _She'd have to ask Minerva later.

"I remember both Margaret and Derek from their time at Hogwarts," came the very woman's voice, "Margaret was always trying to keep her younger sister, Elizabeth, out of trouble." She looked pointedly at Allexia, while speaking wistfully of happier times.

_Oh, Liz._ Allexia wanted desperately to be back in LA with her best friend. You shouldn't find out about something like this from a newspaper. Or a police report, she thought bitterly. She glanced at her watch. It was just after 3 in the afternoon in LA; Liz wouldn't find the paper until 6, at least. The meeting was just starting to wrap up, half had already apparated away. Some came up to her and introduced themselves properly, including a wizard named Mundungus Fletcher, who stated that he was happy to have another member involved in questionable activities in the Order. After assuring Mundungus that she would look into cauldron exportation, Allexia slipped out without notice, or so she thought. Severus Snape watched her leave quietly and followed her a few seconds later.

A cool breeze caught her by surprise as she made her way outside. She noticed a pair of aurors patrolling nearby and melded easily into the shadows. Allexia pulled out her cell phone once she was on the other side of the pub. She thought that by some off chance, Liz might be home already. Snape saw her go around the building, but lost her when he went to investigate. It was only when he heard her voice that he knew where she was standing.

"Liz? Can you hear me? It's Lexy." Snape squinted into the darkness, looking for whom she was addressing, but saw no one. Allexia moved into a patch of moonlight.

"Can you hear me, now?"

"Yeah, must be all that magical energy messing up the signal. So, what's up? How did it go?" Allexia thought that Liz sounded normal enough, but there was an undertone that said she was hiding something.

"It went well, I think. Dad and I still have lots of issues to get over, but, in time, I think we'll work things out. How are things with you?" she asked.

"Oh, everything's right as rain here! Paid Adam a visit last night. You've been holding out on me, Lex." Something was definitely wrong. Liz never used expressions like 'right as rain.' She'd discuss Adam another time.

"Liar. How are you really?" Liz sounded like she was going to protest, but sighed heavily instead.

"Have you seen today's Daily Prophet?" Allexia's heart sank. She had never heard Liz sound so sad.

"Yeah, that was one of the reasons I called your cell phone, instead of owling you. Are you okay?" That was a stupid question and she knew it, but she had no idea what else to say.

"I'm just numb, you know? My sister and I hadn't spoken in years. I didn't even know she had kids!" She could hear Liz getting choked up and tears formed in her own eyes. "I think I'm going to go see my parents. I want to try and patch things up before they…you know. I should be with my family at a time like this."

"That's probably best. Let me know how it goes, okay? Maybe you can visit Hogwarts? Professor Flitwick remembers you quite fondly."

Liz's voice returned to somewhat normal. "I think I'd like that. You're not mad about me and Adam, are you?"

"I have no claims on Adam, Elizabeth Brooke, and you know it! Feel free! Just answer me this, you didn't fuck on my brand new satin sheets did you?" Snape, finally deducing that she was using some sort of telephone, listened to Allexia's side of the conversation. He sneered at her last remark. _Kiss your father with that mouth?_

"Of course not, silly! We didn't make it that far. You've got a very sturdy kitchen table, Lexy."

"What? I eat there, thank you very much! Call me when you get here, alright?"

"I will, love. Thanks for calling. Bye!"

"Love ya, bye!" _Note to self, clean kitchen table when you get home._ She put the phone back in her cloak, turned around, and spotted a figure leaning against the building. She pretended that she didn't see them. Moving to look back behind her, she took out her wand. Keeping it concealed in her robes, she muttered a spell causing a trash bin to fall over. Snape looked toward the noise for a second then looked back at Allexia, except she was no longer there. He sensed movement behind him and felt the tip of a wand against his back then a hand close around his upper arm.

"Fancy meeting _you_ out here. Did my father send you or did you follow me by your own choice?"

"I followed you. When the newest member of the Order sneaks out without speaking to anyone, it looks suspicious. Like you, I hardly trust anyone."

"Least we agree on something." She pressed up against his back, her wand digging into his body. He could feel her breath behind his ear. She was nearly as tall as he. "Next time you decide to follow me, try not to make it so obvious." Her tongue made contact with the fleshy part of his lobe for a half second, making him flinch. She had disappeared into the shadows, by the time he turned around, wondering what had just happened.

Later that night, Allexia found herself relaxing in a hot bath, though the tub was not as extravagant as her father's. Her rooms were situated near Madame Hooch. Allexia promised her she would go flying around the quidditch pitch with her before she left. Allexia hadn't been on a broomstick in ages, but agreed nonetheless. She stared at the candles surrounding the bathtub, thinking over the night's events. She really had no idea why she licked the professor's ear. It was not something she normally did, even to her lovers. Maybe it was the heat his body gave off or his musky smell that drove her to do it. She certainly blamed that voice of his. It was enough to drive even nuns wild. Stop it, she mentally scolded, you're here to make up with your father not get laid!

Her father and Minerva had already returned to the castle by the time she went back in to look for them. If it wasn't for the lateness of the hour, she would go and talk to him, but it would have to wait till morning. She was bothered that he wouldn't look her in the face. Climbing into the huge four-post bed, she hoped that Liz was all right. Allexia fell asleep wondering why Liz's sister was singled out and what had happened to the twin boys.


	6. Flat on the Floor

A/N: Same disclaimers stand. Thanks for reading! Enjoy.

"Not like I need to depend on anyone,  
since I can see the lack of need for me to be here at all.  
One more anthem for the know-it-all.  
I won't be standing up for long, I better learn how to crawl.  
Learn how to crawl.

In ten minutes, I'll be laying out flat on the floor."

- _Flat on the Floor_, Nickelback

Chapter 6

The next morning at breakfast, Allexia thought she'd been seriously neglecting the first meal of the day. Normally all she had was coffee and the occasional bagel. Today, like yesterday, she found herself eating like a horse. Of course, back home she didn't have an army of house elves cooking all this lovely food. She caught the professor from last night staring at her in disbelief and oftentimes contempt. Her father told her that he would be leaving for the Ministry after breakfast and wouldn't return until right before dinner, so she didn't have time to speak with him. He seemed fine, but she felt that there were still unresolved issues under the surface. This did, however, give Allexia time to explore the castle unaccompanied.

After wandering aimlessly for an hour and a half, she discovered that no one had bothered to warn her about the staircases. Thankfully, Sir Nicholas happened to float by as Allexia was attempting to spell the staircase into moving back. He guided her down to the library, albeit taking the scenic route. She got a tour from Madam Pince and an open invitation to come back anytime or take a book back to her room. Glancing at her watch, she saw that it was only noon. Most of the others were probably eating lunch. It looked like a gorgeous, sunny day outside. _I wonder if anyone will mind if I took a dip in the lake?_ Heading for her rooms, she really didn't care if they did.

Allexia didn't bring a bathing suit so she transfigured a purple one out of a tank top. She also conjured up a flower printed sarong to match. The suit was a simple one piece. She knew she was in great shape, but she wasn't as comfortable as Liz with showing off her body. Liz's idea of swimwear looked like shoelaces tied together. She regarded her reflection in the mirror, enlisting it to make what sounded like a catcall. Liz was shorter and thinner, with a modest bust size. She looked like a supermodel with her fine blonde hair and dazzling smile. Allexia was tall, athletically built, and had inherited a large bosom from her mother. She also got her brown complexion from her mom. Satisfied with her appearance, she grabbed a towel and headed down to the lake.

Snape stalked through the halls, his robes billowing as usual. He heard footsteps behind him, but wasn't in the mood for conversation, so he wasn't about to say hello. Allexia noticed the professor walking in front of her. _What did Dad call him, again? S-something? Oh yeah!_

"Severus!" She jogged a little to catch up with him. "Severus!"

"Professor Snape!" he snapped in response.

"Excuse me?" He stopped abruptly and turned menacingly towards her.

"My name, Miss Price. You will address me properly as Professor Snape. I do not remember giving you permission to use my first name." He looked over her apparel, or rather lack thereof, with a sneer.

"Well, I beg your pardon, _Professor_ Snape." She bowed slightly to mock him. "Care to join me for a swim?"

Snape snorted and walked away without saying a thing. She shook her head at his departure. "I'll take that as a no, then?" she called to him. "Prick", she muttered.

Allexia welcomed the sun's warmth as she made her way to the edge of the lake. Dipping a toe into the water, she found that the temperature wasn't too cold, but she cast a slight warming charm on her body anyway. She removed the sarong and set it next to her towel. Allexia dove into the lake, her skin tingling in response to the sudden change of environment. She swam out to the middle where she felt something tickle her feet. Apparently she disturbed the giant squid's nap. She swam a few laps to and from the center of the lake. Her muscles burned from the exercise, but she was having fun. Coming up for air on the last run, she noticed Hagrid and Flitwick heading towards the lake. It was funny to watch them walking beside each other. The little professor had on a bathing suit that would have been in style at the early 1900s. Hagrid, on the other hand, wore bright orange swimming trunks with dancing pineapples on them. She waved at them.

"Lexy! Severus told us your were taking a dip in the lake and it sounded like fun. Mind if we join you?"

"Of course not. Nice shorts, Hagrid!"

"You like 'em? Olympe got them for me," he said, blushing.

* * *

Severus Snape stood alone in the staff room, staring down at the lake with disgust. Something about that woman irritated him. It didn't matter whether or not she was Dumbledore's daughter. He watched as she stood on Hagrid's shoulders and back flipped into the water. _It should be illegal for giants to go around half naked._ Unfortunately the fullness of Allexia's bosom and her long, shapely legs didn't go unnoticed by the potions master, though they were a bit more muscular than he normally liked. He wasn't dead, for Merlin's sake, but her arrogant attitude was enough to stifle any attraction that might be forming. _Bloody American. _He left the staff room for the solace of his dungeons. No one would bother him there, leaving him free to work on his research in peace.

* * *

"Dad? I think we need to talk." She walked into his office, a black robe over jeans and a t-shirt. Her hair was pinned up in a loose bun. Dumbledore looked over his half-moon glasses at her.

"Is there something wrong, my dear?"

"Maybe you could tell me. Why didn't you look me in the eyes last night?"

"What do you mean?" Allexia sat down in front of his desk. Fawkes flew over to investigate and she stroked his feathers automatically.

"Dad, I'm sorry that everyone knows that your daughter has done all these terrible things for money, but that's part of who I am."

Dumbledore shook his head in frustration. "It isn't any of their business what you've done. You didn't need to answer any of Moody or Snape's questions."

"And have the Order speculate about me and turn me into some sort of super witch just because I'm your blood! I would rather be honest and have them accept me for myself. Just as I want you to accept me. I know its hard, but please try."

"I do accept you, but I can't help but think how differently your life might have been if I hadn't kept the truth of your mother's death a secret."

Allexia stood back up, causing the phoenix to squawk in indignation. She began to pace. "Yes, things would have been different, but that doesn't matter now."

"But I caused you to become what you are today. This isn't the life your mother and I envisioned for you."

Her anger was growing again and she tried desperately to get it under control. "It sure as hell isn't what I envisioned either, but it's _my life_. You didn't cause it, I did! The choices I made have brought me to this point. It was my choice to leave training; it was my choice to become obsessed with finding Mom's killer; it was all _my choice._ Don't blame yourself!"

Dumbledore was on his feet now. "Allexia, I promised I would learn to accept all aspects of your life and I will do my best to live up to that promise. But I do not want the other members to form a negative opinion of you based on what you've done in the past."

"I don't care what they think of me! You either like me or you don't. I pledged to do my best to help the Order bring down Voldemort and I plan on delivering. They don't have to like or respect me, they just have to let me do my part."

"Your mother said the same things to me long ago. Allexia, if your criminal activities were to become known to Voldemort and his supporters, you would become an even greater target. He would try to exploit your darker side. Be careful how much you divulge."

"Do you think that I would go to his side? Is that really the reason or are you too ashamed to have everyone know what kind of work I do?" Her father moved around the desk to stand in front of her.

"Allexia, please stop this. You said you wanted to change your life, so why drag it out into the open for all to see. I am not ashamed of you. I love you and I am just trying to protect you."

Her hands were balled into fists and her breathing became ragged. "I haven't needed your protection for years, besides look what happened the last time you tried to protect me." Allexia regretted those words as soon as they left her lips, but there was nothing to be done about it. "One night is not enough to change my life and obviously it isn't enough to seal the rift between us." Before the headmaster could reply, she stormed out of his office. Dumbledore slumped into a chair and buried his head in his hands.

Allexia was so worked up she wanted to hit something or someone. Gods, she needed to calm down. _I need air._ On her way out the main doors, she nearly collided with Minerva. She muttered an apology, but kept on walking. Minerva looked at her puzzled, wondering what happened to upset her so much. She decided to find Albus and ask him.

As it was nearing dinnertime, the weather outside turned cool and breezy. Allexia sat beside the lake, thinking to herself how happy she was just a few hours ago. While she sat on the bank, the sky grew darker and the stars began to brighten and twinkle. She lost her temper when she shouldn't have. Her temper always got her in trouble. Allexia fell back onto the grass, hoping she didn't just fuck up what she so desperately wanted. Footsteps a few minutes later caused her to sit up. They were large and could only belong to one person.

"Oy, Lexy! Didn't expect to find you out here."

"Were you sent to fetch me to dinner, Hagrid?"

He looked a bit confused. "Nope, I was on my way to the pub actually. Bit o' cards and drinks. Wanna come?"

"Sounds like fun." He helped her up. "I could use a drink."

* * *

"Albus, are you coming to dinner?" Minerva walked to where the older wizard sat slouched in his chair with Fawkes by his side. He looked caught somewhere between fury and disappointment. It pained her to see him thusly. "What happened? Has Fudge done something stupid, as usual?"

He sighed into his hands and looked up, peering gravely at her. "No, love, it is not the Ministry that ails me this night."

Minerva nodded in understanding. "I see. It's Allexia, then? I saw her heading out the door in right state. Nearly knocked me down."

"She left?" he asked, panicked.

"I think she just went out for some fresh air. Its what I do when I'm upset. Did the two of you have an argument?"

He stared intently at the carpet for a few minutes to gather his thoughts. "It was about last night's meeting. I didn't think she needed to tell everyone about her…occupation. If Tom knew that I had a daughter who has done some less than honorable things, he would pursue her even more. Now she thinks that I'm ashamed of her."

"And for good reason!" exclaimed Minerva, "Did you tell her that?" He nodded. "Who she tells about her life is her business, Albus. I know that you aren't happy about it, but you need to get over it, as they say. Besides, the others know that Severus has done all sorts of terrible things as a death eater, but they still respect him and they will do the same for Allexia. So what if she's kidnapped people for money and what not. We've all got skeletons in our closet."

"They may respect Severus, but they don't trust him, not all of them."

"They trust him because you do. If you show support for your daughter, the others will trust her too. Don't think of her as Alexandria Price, bounty hunter and free agent, think of her as Allexia Dumbledore, a bright young witch that I would love to get to know better."

Albus looked into the eyes of his partner, both personal and professional. "As always, you are right, my dear. I have been such a miserable father. I need to start making up for lost time. You're not the only who would like to get to know her better."

She took his hand in hers, squeezing gently. "Tell her that. Don't let another fourteen years go by. Next time she might not come back. I happen to like her very much, Albus. She's willful, strong, and loyal."

He chuckled. "Just like you, love. She would have been a wonderful Gryffindor."

Minerva thought of some of her other qualities. The ones that enabled her to do all those things. "Or a wonderful Slytherin."

* * *

Two hours and quite a few drinks later, Allexia was on her way to being blissfully drunk and down close to 300 galleons. She wasn't as good at poker as she was at blackjack, so her money was going quickly. Most of the other patrons at the Hog's Head looked shifty and ruthless. While others looked like Hagrid, wild but lovable. She was also the only female present tonight, besides the barmaid. She glanced down at her present hand; it looked promising.

"I'll see your fifty and raise you fifty."

"I think your bluffing, little missy. I'll see your fifty," said a scruffy looking wizard in his sixties named Liam. The others folded. Allexia smiled maliciously.

"Read 'em and weep, boys; royal flush!" Liam threw his cards down in defeat and muttered something remarkable like 'bloody bitch.' She pecked him on the cheek. "Don't you forget it, sweetie!" Allexia reached for the money, which now put her up by 80 galleons.

"Nice one, Lexy!" Hagrid complimented, "You should know by now that women don't bluff, Liam."

"All the ones I know do. Especially in the bedroom!" Allexia laughed along with all the men surrounding her. She thought it funny that she should feel more comfortable in a dimly lit pub flocked by shady characters than in the Great Hall with all the professors. "You play a good card game, Lexy, but can you play this game?" Liam set a large bottle on the table and two shot glasses. Various noises and comments were emitted from the other patrons.

"Watch yourself, Lexy, that's Odgen's Firewhiskey. Mighty powerful stuff," warned Hagrid. Allexia, never one to back down from a challenge and already slightly inebriated, poured the first shot.

"No one's ever beaten Liam. This should be over quick." This came from a man standing behind her. She knew she would regret this in the morning, but she was damned well determined to show these guys what she was made of. The both of them picked up their glasses and toasted each other. At the same time, they downed the shots. Allexia felt like she had just swallowed lava. She could feel it burning from her tongue down to the pit of her stomach. Her eyes watered slightly. "Yow! That is some strong shit!" she coughed out.

"Think you can play, girly?" The smug look on Liam's face pissed her off and only fueled her determination.

"Pour the next one, old man." Bets were now being made amongst their audience. She was surprised that half were in favor of her. The second shot went down a little easier, but it still burned like hell. Liam on the other hand didn't seem to be phased by it. By the sixth shot, her throat was pretty much numb, but things started looking fuzzy. She pushed on anyway.

"Twenty!" someone shouted.

Liam eyed her with something akin to respect and so did many of the other wizards. Hagrid, who was quite drunk himself, was sitting in the corner telling whoever would listen all about "his woman." Five shots later, the room started to spin slowly but she saw panic in Liam's bloodshot eyes. If she held on a bit longer, she would have him. After only two more shots, she was rewarded by seeing his head hit the table with a loud thunk. The men who bet on her were rejoicing in their success. Allexia stood up, cheered, and then promptly fell backwards. A young wizard caught her and she thanked him by kissing him thoroughly. While the rest of the pub sang bawdy drinking songs, Allexia tried to get to Hagrid. Barely able to walk, it took her a full half hour to find the huge man.

"Lexy!" He cried, "Did I ever tell you how beautiful Olympe is?"

"Many times, Hagrid. We need to get back to Hogwarts. Hog warts? I've never seen a pig with warts."

It took another half hour to find the door, but soon they were on their way back to the school. She needed to rely on Hagrid to hold her up. They sang loudly and off key the whole way.

"A wizard's staff has a knob on the end,  
a knob on the end,  
a knob on the end,  
A wizard's staff has a knob on the end,  
And what he does with it is magic.

He holds it tight to charge it up  
and he does it every day  
Then he uses it all in a ten-second blast  
and the magic's gone away.

A wizard's staff has a knob on the end  
and runes up the shaft  
it's long and proud and stiff and loud  
it's the pride of wizardcraft.

A wizard's staff has a knob on the end,  
a knob on the end,  
a knob on the end,  
A wizard's staff has a knob on the end,  
And what he does with it is magic."

Allexia knew there was no way she was going to make it all the way up to the castle, so they went no further than Hagrid's hut. The half-giant collapsed on his bed, asleep before his head hit the pillows. Allexia fell straight to the floor; not caring that it was cold or that Fang was drooling on her.

(Just an excerpt) This isn't mine. It's from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, but the verses are by some fans. The whole thing can be found atwww-dot-theturtlemoves-dot-co-dot-uk/index-dot-php in the fanfic section.


	7. Worst Hangover Ever

Author's Note: There's a bit of AD/MM fluff at the end that I threw in for those from the Albus/Minerva Yahoo group. You've been very welcoming and encouraging. Thanks. Also, since the board's been abuzz about Minerva having shorter hair in the POA movie, I've added my own spin on it. Thanks for all the reviews, I appreciate them. Enjoy!

"Went out drinking late last night,  
I had a blast.  
But now the morning light has come  
and kicked my ass.

I've got the worst hangover ever.  
I'm crawling to the bathroom again.  
It hurts so bad that I'm never gonna drink again."

- _Worst Hangover Ever_, The Offspring

Chapter 7

Allexia awoke when her bed started moving. _Wait a minute, why is my bed moving?_ She carefully opened her eyes one at a time to adjust to the light. She found herself lying face down on top of Hagrid, using his beard as a pillow. She rolled off of him as silently as she could, but she misjudged how far away the floor was and landed hard on her backside. It only intensified the pounding in her skull. Fang, startled by the commotion, barked in alarm and woke up his owner. Allexia covered her ears and rested her head on her knees.

"Fang, hush up," said Hagrid, "You okay, Lexy?"

"I feel like my head is going fall off. You?"

He sat up slowly. "I'm a little woozy myself, but I didn't have as much as you. Firewhiskey is dodgy stuff. Most people end up…" Allexia suddenly sprang up, grabbed a pail sitting by the door, and threw up in it. "..puking their guts out." He handed her a handkerchief.

"Thanks."

Hagrid started going through his various cupboards. "Damn! I'm all out of hangover cure. Guess you'll have to see Madam Pomfrey."

"I think I brought some with me. I almost never leave home without it." She looked at her watch. Breakfast would be served in half an hour. "Thanks for last night, Hagrid. It was fun, even though I'm paying for it now. I'll see you later."

Allexia threw up two more times on the way up to the castle. I'm never drinking that much again, she promised herself, knowing full well she'd probably break it. She had transfigured a pair of sunglasses out of a spoon, but the light still hurt. She hoped to make it all the way to her rooms without running into anyone, but fate could never be that kind. Allexia had just turned a corner when she ran into Peeves upending the suits of armor. They collapsed on the floor with a loud metallic clang. She thought her brain was going to explode from the assault. The poltergeist noticed her distress and moved in for the kill.

"Lexy lady, drink too much?" he taunted, "Oh poor, poor, Lexy lady!" He cackled menacingly as he conjured up a pair of cymbals.

"Peeves, I swear if you.." CRASH! She shut her eyes and clutched her head. Peeves disappeared down the corridor, laughing all the way. It took several minutes for the throbbing to subside. _Somehow,_ _I am going to make that little bastard pay._ Allexia started off again towards her room, but fate, once again, was not on her side. Professor Snape and her father stood a few feet in front of her deep in conversation. The pain in her head and the nausea was too much for her to concentrate on becoming invisible. So, she pleaded with the gods that they would simply not notice her. _Like that would work!_

"Allexia!" She winced as her father's voice echoed off the walls and zeroed in on her skull like missiles. It soon became rather obvious to both men that she was extremely hung over.

"Morning, gentlemen," she said, her voice deep and hoarse.

"You look positively green! I suggest you get yourself to Poppy, straight away," Dumbledore said in alarm. "There is something I wish to discuss with you after breakfast, though, but if you can't make it…"

"I'll be there, don't you worry. Some potion and strong coffee is all I need." Her father nodded and began to leave.

"Good. I'll see you both at breakfast, then."

Before he could take more than two steps, Allexia called after him, not caring about her head or the fact that Snape was listening. "I'm sorry about last night. The things I said came out all wrong."

He flashed her a relieved smile. "I should apologize to you. There was plenty of misunderstanding to go around. We'll talk more later."

"Well, well, well." Snape looked disappointedly at the witch in front of him. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I know for a fact that Madam Pomfrey is all out of hangover potion. Regrettably, I haven't had the time to replenish her stores. How unfortunate for you." He didn't know why he wanted to watch her suffer, but he knew he'd enjoy it.

"You're full of shit, you know that, _Professor_." She started to walk away.

"Such vulgarity. How typical of Americans."

Allexia turned around and gave him a traditional American salute, her middle finger. "For your information, Snape, I have my own hangover potion." She was glad that he didn't say anything more and moved as quickly as she could to her rooms.

Just like the first night, Albus found himself drinking hot chocolate with his daughter in his sitting room. It was a much more relaxed setting then his office. They were back on good terms for what he hoped was an indefinite amount of time. He wasn't too pleased with her excessive drinking. Hagrid practically boasted about her at breakfast. She seemed more embarrassed by the whole situation than proud, but he saw the satisfaction in her eyes. She looked a great deal better now than she did when he first saw her this morning. Allexia's head stopped pounding after she ate some food.

"I have a proposition for you, my dear. You say you wish to aid the Order in any way you can?"

"Yes, why?"

"I think that you could be of better use to the cause, if you remained in the country."

Allexia set down her cup of hot chocolate. "I realize that there isn't much I can do from LA, but that's where my home and my friends are. You want me to just leave?"

"Think of it as a fresh start in life. You'll meet new friends and you'll always have a home at Hogwarts. In fact, I think you would make an excellent addition to the staff."

"You want to hire me? As what, Hagrid's assistant?"

He looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes and grinned merrily. "I want you to be our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"You're serious! Do you really want me around children? They don't need that sort of corruption."

"I think you would make a fine teacher. Your mother was one."

"I know, but I'm not Mom. Can I at least think about it?"

"You have three days. I need to inform the Ministry of my appointment by then or they will supply me with a teacher of their choosing and I don't need a repeat of last year."

Allexia didn't know what to think. _Me, a teacher? My father is insane. _She wandered around Hogsmeade just thinking about her father's proposal. It was just after lunch, so she decided to stop by Honeyduke's for some chocolate frogs. As she left the store she heard someone call her name. Allexia turned in the direction it came from and saw her best friend waving wildly.

"Liz!" She pulled the blonde witch into a big hug. "How are you doing?"

"I'm better. I've been to see my parents. They're a mess, as expected. We got into a big row about my running away and abandoning the family, but in the end everything turned out well. They're glad I came back. Maggie and Derek's funeral is tomorrow. So how are things with you?"

"Slow down, girl! I'm fine, I guess. My dad and I hit another rough patch, but we got through it. I also went out drinking last night, so I woke up with a nasty hangover. Good thing I brought along my potions."

Liz made a face like she was hurt. "You went drinking without me? Come on, let's go to the Three Broomsticks!"

The pair of them situated themselves in a cozy corner booth. Allexia, still reeling from the previous night's activities, drank only butterbeer, while Liz had her usual cabernet. After a few sips, Liz turned suddenly serious. She placed her hand on top of Allexia's.

"I want to thank you, Lexy, for everything. This is very difficult for me. Being back in the home I grew up in and sleeping in my old room, it brought back a lot of memories. It's made me miss Maggie even more." She paused to take another drink. "I cried all night. I feel a dozen different emotions at once. I feel guilty for waiting too long to come back. I'm sad beyond words because I will never get the chance to tell my big sister how much I loved and looked up to her." Tears began to fall down her snowy white cheeks. Allexia moved to the other side of the table and put her arm around her friend.

"I'm so sorry, Liz," she whispered.

"But most of all I'm angry. Why were they singled out? I want that bastard of a dark lord and his bloody followers to pay for what they've done. If I ever come across a Death Eater, his ass is mine!"

"Believe me, I know all about wanting to get revenge, but watch yourself. These Death Eaters mean business. Don't bite off more than you can chew."

Liz finished off her glass of wine. "Sorry, I'm getting all worked up. I'm also worried about my nephews. I can't stand to think about what they are going through."

Allexia placed her hands on Liz's shoulders and turned her until Liz was looking her square in the face. "I'm worried too. Now, Elizabeth, I want you to promise me that you won't go after Voldemort or his lackeys. You can't take them on alone."

"I promise, Lex."

* * *

Snape looked at the piles of books scattered around his desk. He had spent the entire morning and afternoon, pouring over every text of dark rituals and the like that he owned; trying to figure out what Voldemort was up to. He had found only a few references to twins and nothing on the cutting of palms. He threw his notes in frustration and watched as they fluttered to the floor. It worried him that he was no longer in the Dark Lord's inner circle. Compared to such willing slaves such as Wormtail and Bellatrix, it was no surprise that his time as a favored follower was no more. A knock at the door broke him from his reverie.

"Who is it!"

The door opened and Dumbledore strode into his office in all his purple glory. Only he would dare enter without any acknowledgement. "There you are, Severus. The report from the aurors who were at the Jacobson Cottage has arrived. I thought you might want to look it over." Albus surveyed the poor state of his friend's desk. "I see you've been doing some research of your own."

"With little luck, actually." He took the stack of parchments from the headmaster and quickly glanced through them. When he came to a page with a drawing of a symbol, he stopped. "What is this?"

"That design was carved onto Mrs. Jacobson's palms. I don't believe I've ever seen it before."

"That would give credit to my theory of some sort of ritual. Was it found on Mr. Jacobson?"

"No," Dumbledore turned to leave, "Just read the report, Severus."

"As if I have nothing better to do," he muttered as the old man left the room.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" asked Allexia. She was escorting Liz to the edge of the school grounds so her friend could apparate.

"I promised my parents I'd be with them tonight. I'll see you tomorrow." The women embraced and Allexia watch Liz disappear with a pop. She decided to sit by the lake for a few minutes before heading back. She agreed to go to the funeral tomorrow. Allexia hated funerals. She also thought more about becoming a teacher. She wasn't sure why she hadn't told Liz about it. Maybe she wanted to reach a decision all on her own, without any outside influence.

Minerva watched as Albus set his black robes on the settee in his bedroom. They would be attending the Jacobsen funeral tomorrow and were leaving early in the morning. Albus never looked right in all black, not like Severus or Allexia. It just didn't fit in with his silvery white beard and sparkling blue eyes, not to mention his, sometimes annoying, ever cheerful mood. She sat on Albus' bed, clad in her tartan dressing gown. Albus moved to sit behind her as she began brushing her hair. He placed a hand on her arm to still her movements and took the brush from her.

"I really miss your long hair, Minerva," he said, as he moved the brush slowly through her brown and gray locks. Her hair came to a stop just below her shoulders.

"Mmmm..." Minerva's eyes were closed. She loved when he did this.

"All because of a silly bet!" he chuckled.

"Yes, well you know us Gryffindors never back down from a challenge. Especially from a Slytherin like Severus."

"But why in Merlin's name did you bet your hair?" He had ceased brushing and was now winding his fingers through her tresses and caressing her neck.

"Because I was so bloody sure I'd win and I wanted to see Severus cut that mop of his. I should have waited another year, though, when Potter joined the team." She let out a defeated sigh.

Albus moved her hair to place a light kiss on her neck. "You and Severus take Quidditch much too seriously. Whose idea was it again for the hair not to grow back for seven years?"

"That was Severus' and I do not take it too seriously! Its simply Gryffindor pride, that's all. Besides, just one more year to go." She shivered as Albus kissed her neck once more. "What has gotten into you, old man?" It didn't come out quite as exasperated as she wanted it to.

He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her from behind. "Tomorrow will be a solemn occasion. Funerals are never easy, no matter how well, or not, you knew the departed. I wanted to relish in the happiness you bring to me, before being surrounded by so much sadness."

Minerva turned around and smiled radiantly at him, cupping his face in her hands. "Oh, m'eudail," she whispered, pulling him into a kiss. As they sank down upon the bed, Albus snapped his fingers, causing the room to go dark.

A/N: M'eudail means "my darling" or "my treasure" in Gaelic I think. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks for making it this far down. : -)


	8. A Fair Judgment

A/N: Now that my little detour into the the land of silly (my snippet, Tug of War) is over, on to more serious things. Once again, these are JK Rowlings creations, but any character not found in the books is mine. Hope you like!

"Losing sleep, in too deep.  
Fading sun, what have I done.  
Came so close to what I need most.  
Nothing left here.

Cut the ties, uncover disguise,  
left behind all intertwined.  
Lost control, moved out of the role now.  
Nothing's left here."

- _A Fair Judgment, _Opeth

Chapter 8

"A friend who is far away is sometimes much nearer than one who is at hand. Is not the mountain far more awe-inspiring and more clearly visible to one passing through the valley than to those who inhabit the mountain? Let us find comfort in our memories of Derek and Margaret, for they will live on in our hearts."

Allexia listened halfheartedly to the words spoken by the officiant. He was an ancient looking wizard with a patch of white hair. The funeral was as somber as expected. Her father, as well as, Professors McGonagall and Sprout joined Allexia. Margaret and Derek were in Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, respectively, and it was only fitting that their old house heads be in attendance. Allexia met Liz's parents and wished they had been introduced under different circumstances. She noticed that Liz would look exactly like her mother when she got older. Liz seemed much more composed today than she was at the Three Broomsticks. Her face was forlorn, but she managed to keep her tears in check. She consoled her mother and father, holding their hands and whispering words of encouragement.

It was strange seeing her friend like that. Liz was normally so carefree and eccentric. Losing a loved one will do that to you, though. Allexia couldn't remember the last time she felt truly happy since her mother's funeral. Happiness varied in degrees after that. She would smile and laugh, but something was different. Her heart wasn't in it; well not all of it at least.

The press was ever present, she noted in annoyance. Anything for a story, she thought. She tried to stay out of any photographs, but the reporters were drawn to her father. Afterwards, Liz said she was returning to LA the day after tomorrow. As much as she enjoyed being back with her family, even with her sister's death, Liz was eager to get back to the States and to her job. Allexia asked her if she was just going to bury herself in work, but Liz was quite adamant that she was fine, but she missed the city. The funeral had taken up most of the morning, but they returned to Hogwarts in time for lunch.

Allexia was listening to a joke about an auror, mediwitch, and a house elf that Rolanda had heard from a friend when a bird entered the Great Hall. It let out a shrill cry, alerting everyone to its presence and stopping Madame Hooch in the middle of the punch line. The large hawk landed in front of Allexia, causing gasps and an excited squeal from the flying instructor.

"Oh, he's beautiful," she said, her joke forgotten.

"Hello, Lyris," Allexia said to the bird. She untied the letter from its leg and it sniffed curiously at her plate. She giggled when it turned its beak away in disgust. "Sorry, I don't have any rats or rabbits for you." Its job done, the hawk took flight. _I wonder what Adam wants._ She glanced down at the letter in her hand.

"Friend of yours?" Dumbledore asked.

"Lyris belongs to my friend, Adam, who's staying in my apartment while I'm away," she answered, receiving a quizzical look in return. She ignored her father's teasing stare and ripped open the letter.

'_Lex,_

_Hope this gets to you. Your apartment got broken into. Don't know if anything got taken,_

_but the place is trashed. I got called away on business two days ago, so I'm not sure when_

_this happened. Sorry. Maybe you should come and take a look. Can't find Ebony, either._

_Adam'_

"Shit!" she exclaimed, "My apartment got broken into!"

"You were robbed?" asked Flitwick, "How much got stolen?"

"Adam says the place got torn apart, but isn't sure if anything's missing. I need to go home as soon as possible."

Dumbledore stood up. "Come to my office and I will get you there as fast as I can."

Ten minutes later her father had everything set up. He gave her a portkey that would take her to her apartment, but she would need to go back to the Office of Transportation or apparate back to Hogwarts.

"I should send someone from the Order with you. I don't like the sound of this."

Allexia sighed. She was having a hard time getting used to someone else worrying about her, especially when you've worked alone for over a decade. Old habits die hard, as they say. "I don't need a babysitter, Dad. I'll just assess the damage, speak to my landlord, and probably file a report with the MPA. I'll try not to be long." She kissed him on the cheek.

"Very well. Come back soon, daughter. You still owe me an answer."

She touched the teacup and was soon hurtling across the globe. She appeared down the hall from her apartment, still dizzy from traveling. Allexia removed the wards from the door and reached for the knob, but halted suddenly. A feeling of unease washed over her body. She had been too worked up to notice earlier. _How did Adam know where to find me?_ She had only told them that she was going out of the country and to reach her on her cell phone if he needed to. The letter was addressed to Hogwarts and she removed it from her pocket to confirm it. Something wasn't adding up. Her wand at the ready, she opened the door.

She didn't even recognize her apartment. Furniture had been overturned, picture frames were broken, and dishes lay shattered on the floor. It was like a hurricane had blown through. "Adam?" she called. No answer came as she moved into the living room. She hadn't noticed anything gone, yet, just destroyed. Like someone was looking for something. But what, she didn't know. She scrutinized the damage for anything unusual. Something about the way everything was positioned caused alarm bells to go off. It all seemed too calculated and staged. A dragon figurine that she kept on the coffee table was on its side, but unbroken. She had broken it on accident herself when she knocked into the table once. _What the hell is going on?_ Allexia turned suddenly toward the hallway that led to the bedrooms feeling like she was being watched. There was no one there.

"Ebony? Here kitty, kitty!" Her heart sank when she heard no reply. She turned back to survey her living room and came face to face with a large man in black robes, his wand pointed at her nose. He looked like his mother had been raped by a gorilla and he was the outcome. Her wand came up out of reflex. She tried apparating, but something prevented her.

"I wouldn't try that again if I were you." Her head swung around and two more men stood behind her, with wands aimed. They, too, were clad in black, but silver masks covered their faces. Gorilla-man moved to stand next to her kitchen. _Where the hell did they come from!_ The man who spoke had an English accent and, coupled with their attire, her mind leapt to a conclusion. Death Eaters. Voldemort must have discovered her existence. She didn't have time to wonder how. Her apartment being vandalized was only a ploy to lure her away from Hogwarts!

"What do you want from me?" she demanded, knowing full well that she was in no position to do so.

"Our master wishes to meet you. Come quietly and no harm will come to you, but resist and the results shall be much more unpleasant." The wizard smiled sadistically.

"Where is my friend?"

The man turned to his associate and nodded toward the bedroom. The other wizard disappeared for a moment. He returned carrying Adam's lifeless body and threw it carelessly on the floor at her feet.

"This friend? He lived only long enough to serve our purpose. He was very uncooperative at first, but he was convinced to help us." Meaning, she thought, that he was placed under the Imperius Curse and forced to write the letter that drew her home. Allexia needed to think of a way out. She was damned if she was going with them.

"Why does your master want to meet me?" Her eyes danced between the three wizards in front of her, while trying to think up a plan of escape.

"That much should be obvious, Miss Price, or should I say Miss Dumbledore. You will make a fine addition to our lord's collection."

"You can tell Voldemort to go fuck himself!" The words came out before she could stop them.

"Insolent bitch!" he cried, "Crucio!"

She crumbled to the floor, writhing in agony as the curse shot through her body. The pain was beyond anything she had felt before and she struggled to gain control of her breathing. The one who cursed her moved to stand next to her dining table so now only one wizard blocked the hallway. If I could just get to my room, she thought. That's where most of her weapons were hidden. Allexia picked herself up off the floor, still feeling the effects of the Cruciatus. She spotted Ebony crouched on the countertop next to the hallway.

She focused on her familiar's yellow eyes and concentrated. Three things happened in the next instance; she became invisible, Gorilla-man cast Stupefy, and Ebony leapt off the counter. She ducked as the cat jumped past her and onto the fat wizard's face. It threw off his aim and the spell hit the man in the hallway. She dashed for the bedroom while the men were distracted. The death eater who was hit, recovered quickly, and, feeling her brush past him, followed her into the bedroom. She shut the door, casting various wards under her breath. Allexia knew her only chance was to separate them. Still invisible she managed to get behind him. He was sending stunners all over the room and she could hear the other two trying to get in. She became visible and shouted, "Expelliarmus!" His wand flew towards her and she snatched it out of the air.

Furious, the man pulled out a dagger as he went for her. He dodged a curse she sent towards him and they fell in a heap, both wands dropping onto the floor. She struggled to keep the knife away from her, but when he rolled on top, she felt it stab into her thigh. The sudden pain caused her to fight even harder. She kneed him in the groin and he moved onto his back, coughing. She dove for her wand, quickly bounding him in ropes and casting a silencing spell. He squirmed trying to set himself free.

"The more you struggle, the tighter the ropes get," she said, gritted through the pain of her leg wound, "So, unless you want to crush yourself to death, I'd stop moving."

The other Death Eaters continued to barrage the door with spells and she could sense its defenses weakening. Knowing she didn't have time to see to her leg, she hobbled to the closet and threw open the large black chest that sat inside. Allexia swore loudly when she saw it was filled with snakes and not her guns. Closing it with a loud thud, she turned her attention back to the door, just in time to see it blast apart. Lost in a haze of smoke and woodchips, the wizards didn't see her right away.

"Incendio!" A jet of fire greeted Gorilla-man as he charged in causing him to cry out. The front of his robes were on fire and he fell backward, knocking down the other. Allexia limped as fast as she could back into her living room, tripping over Adam's body in the process. A curse sailed over her head. Her vision blurred and her head swam. She knew she was rapidly running out of energy.

"Ebony, come!" She managed to get to the front door when a stunner hit her in the back. Only by sure force of will did she manage to stay conscious. Allexia turned; ready to make one more stand.

"Avi flabrum!"

"Crucio!"

A gust of wind sent both wizards flying backwards into the living room, while, once again, she was writhing on the floor in agony. Thankfully, as if sensing the situation, the door slammed, sealing itself shut and leaving her out in the hallway. Allexia had no idea how far the spell to block apparation went, so she began crawling down the hall. Ebony mewed encouragingly and ran down another hallway on the right. She followed her cat.

Leaning against the wall with sweat pouring down her face, Allexia wanted to go to sleep. Stay awake, her mind shouted. She had to get back to Hogwarts and her father. Guess I'll be taking that teaching job, she thought absently. Not knowing how long she had before the Death Eaters came after her again, she had no choice but to apparate to Hogwarts. She concentrated all her energy on visualizing the gates leading onto the school grounds. Ebony crawled into her lap to lend her support. Clutching her familiar, Allexia saw the hallway disappear in a flash.

_I did it!_ She held onto the gate as a wave of nausea hit her. After taking a few steps onto the grounds and welcoming its protection, Allexia collapsed from exhaustion and fever. Ebony pawed at her mistress, trying to wake her. The cat took off toward the castle to find another human to help her fallen friend.

Fang's ears perked up when he heard the loud mewing right outside the door. Hagrid, concerned that an injured animal was dying on his doorstep, opened it expectantly. A small black cat looked pleadingly at him and took off toward the front gates. The groundskeeper looked perplexed at its behavior. It came back and did the same thing.

"You want me to follow you?" The cat mewed in response and Hagrid followed. Nearing the gates he noticed what looked like clothes bundled on the ground, but as he moved closer, to his horror, he realized it was a body. Running the rest of the way, he gasped when he saw who it was.

"Lexy! Can you hear me? Wake up!"

She groaned and partially opened her eyes. "He knows," was all she said before passing out again. He lifted her off the ground and sped off toward the castle with dog and cat in tow.

A/N:The first two lines are a quote by Kahlil Gibran. Lexy's ability to become invisible I got from something Dumbledore said in the first book. In chapter twelve he says, "I don't need a cloak to become invisible." Lexy probably inherited that ability or her father taught it to her. Thanks for reading. I appreciate your reviews!


	9. Where the Wild Things Are

A/N: Once again, thanks for all the reviews for this story and Tug of War. I hope you're liking this as much as I like writing it.

"So wake up sleepy one  
it's time to save your world.

Steal dreams and give to you,  
shoplift a thought or two.  
All children touch the sun  
burn fingers one by one, by one.

Will this earth be good to you?  
Keep you clean or stain through?

So wake up sleepy one  
it's time to save your world.  
You're where the wild things are, yeah.  
toy soldiers off to war."

- _Where the Wild Things Are_, Metallica

Chapter 9

"Poppy! Help!" cried Hagrid, upon entering the hospital wing. The mediwitch ran out of her office, rattled by the sudden interruption of her cleaning. Her eyes widened at the sight she met.

"What happened?" she asked as he set Allexia down on a bed.

"Found her passed out by the front gates. Don't know how she got there," Hagrid was beside himself, "I thought she was in America?"

"Hagrid, go in my office and summon the Headmaster and tell Prof. Snape that I need some Fever Reduction potion, he hasn't replenished my stores yet!" Madame Pomfrey set about assessing Allexia's wounds. She was shocked to see a knife protruding from her thigh. She removed her clothes and put her in a hospital gown. Allexia was feverish and pale from the loss of blood.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir, are you in here?"

All those present in the staff room looked toward the fireplace. Dumbledore and the potions master were currently engaged in a chess battle, with Minerva, Flitwick, and Sprout looking on. The old wizard moved to the fireplace.

"What is it, Hagrid?"

"Headmaster, its Lexy. I found her at the gates, unconscious and bleeding. She's in the infirmary. Poppy says she needs some Fever Reduction potion from Professor Snape."

Hagrid had barely finished talking when Dumbledore stepped out of the flames. He thanked Hagrid and walked past him out of Poppy's office.

"Tell Poppy I will have the potion ready for her in ten minutes," said Snape. Hagrid watched his form disappear from view. Minerva asked how serious Allexia's injuries were.

"Not sure, Professor. Lexy was burning with fever and she was bleeding from somewhere."

"We'll be down shortly, but we'll walk. Thanks, Hagrid." The fire returned to normal and the teachers rushed out of the room, heading for the hospital wing.

Albus had felt his insides grow cold at Hagrid's announcement. He had felt some trepidation at her going back to America and now saw that he was justified. Hagrid came over and told the witch that the fever potion would be ready in ten minutes. Albus moved next to the bed and took her hand in his. He patted her wet, pale forehead with a damp cloth, trying to ease her suffering. She shivered and muttered under her breath. She was becoming delirious.

"Hagrid, hold her still while I remove the knife. The calming potion I gave her hasn't kicked in yet, probably because of her fever and the infection from the wound."

Albus watched in horror as Madame Pomfrey slowly extracted the blade. It was about four inches deep and began bleeding profusely. She quickly handed the dagger off to Hagrid, dumped some antibacterial solution into the wound, and went about closing it. Snape walked in carrying the potion, with Flitwick, Sprout, and Minerva close behind him. They stayed off to the side, ever watchful, but unable to hear what was going on.

"Thank you, Severus," Albus said gratefully as Poppy poured it into Allexia's mouth and coaxing her to drink it up. "Will she be alright, Poppy?" he asked.

"I've managed to stop the infection and the bleeding, so as long as her fever breaks, she should make a full recovery. She will have to stay off her leg for the next couple of weeks."

"Thank you, Poppy," he looked to Hagrid, "Did she say anything to you?"

"She was passed out when I found her, but she came to long enough to say, _he knows_. Then she blacked out again." Albus and Snape looked from Hagrid to the other, knowing full well what she meant by that.

Some hours later, Albus still sat at his daughter's bedside, holding her hand and speaking softly to her. Poppy had tried in vain to shoo him out of the ward, telling him there was little they could do but wait and that she would alert him of any change in her condition. "She must mean a lot to you, Headmaster." The old wizard nodded. "Shouldn't you notify her family? The news would be easier coming from a family friend, I'd imagine."

"Oh, yes, of course." Albus forgot, in his grief, that Poppy had no idea she was his daughter. The mediwitch excused herself to her office. He caressed his daughter's face, noting how much younger she looked while sleeping. Occasionally she would cry out or mumble to herself. He caught some of the words.

"Adam…Mom…Death Eaters…Daddy."

Minerva came in some time later with a house elf in tow, carrying a tray. "I didn't think we'd see you at dinner."

He smiled thankfully as the house elf arranged the meal before bounding away. Minerva sat next to him and was satisfied once he started eating. "How is she?" she asked when he was finished.

"Better. Her fever still isn't completely gone, but her tremors are subsiding." He squeezed Minerva's hand and leaned in to kiss her. The touch of her lips gave him much needed comfort.

"You two are so cute together," came a coarse, drained voice from the bed.

They broke apart and stared surprisingly at Allexia's opened eyes. "I'll go fetch Poppy," said Minerva, still blushing from being caught. Minerva and Albus were never ones for public displays of affection, especially with their relationship a secret.

"How are you feeling, little one?"

"Honestly, like hammered shit. Excuse my language, but that about sums it up." Allexia tried to shift positions and swore loudly when she moved her left leg. "Almost forgot the bastard stabbed me."

Minerva returned with the mediwitch, who immediately went about checking Allexia over. "The fever seems to be subsiding and I'm not detecting any further signs of the infection." Even with that diagnosis, Poppy handed her several tonics before returning to her office.

"Ugh! That last one was horrid."

"Well, pardon me, Miss Price," said a deep, velvety voice from the doorway, "I shall endeavor, next time, to make it taste more like Firewhiskey, as that seems to be a favorite of yours."

"Ah, Severus," greeted Albus, stepping into the conversation before it escalated. "Is it done?" Snape moved closer to the bed.

"Yes, headmaster. The Death Eaters were not there when the others searched the apartment, but they did find a body."

"My friend, Adam," Allexia supplied somberly, "They forced him to write that letter to lure me back. I didn't realize it until I got there that I never told Adam where I was staying, but the letter was addressed to Hogwarts."

"Moody contacted the American Ministry and they collected the body, but not without questions. I think between Moody and Shacklebolt they were placated enough to their satisfaction. Your home is back in order, Miss Price, but I wouldn't recommend returning any time soon, at least not alone. I believe Tonks gathered up most of your clothing."

"Thanks, Professor. I guess I'll accept your offer, Dad, if it still stands?"

"Wonderful!"

"What offer?" Minerva asked, puzzled.

"I asked Allexia to be our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," he answered.

Minerva looked pleased, but Snape was livid. Not only was his request denied again, it was given to an American and the headmaster's own daughter at that! Spoiled brat, he thought bitterly. He tried to escape back to his dungeons, but was called back by Dumbledore.

"Actually, Severus, I would borrow a bit more of your time." Reluctantly, Snape walked back. "Allexia, are you well enough to tell us what happened?"

She nodded. "I think so. I'm still a bit woozy from the medicine, though, so bear with me." Madame Pomfrey had returned just in time to hear this statement and cast a few more charms on her. She too was eager to hear the tale. Allexia accounted everything that happened from the moment she stood outside her door to when she apparated to the school. On hearing that she was hit twice with the Cruciatus and a stunning spell, Poppy ran more diagnostics with her wand.

Snape listened intently to her tale. He was rather impressed at her magical ability and decided, unhappily, that she might make a decent defense teacher. He was sure the Death Eater she referred to as, "Gorilla-man", was Martin Goyle. He quite agreed with that description, aside from the fact that a gorilla was probably smarter. _His son takes after him._ Snape also recognized the dagger as belonging to Ignatius Brachen. The fool had his family's coat of arms etched onto the blade. He would no doubt learn who the third man was at the next meeting. Having failed in their task, the Dark Lord would make examples of them.

As Allexia finished her story, Snape allowed himself to linger on her form. He had just noticed that her hair wasn't in its customary braid, but fell in slight waves down her back and around her face. It was as black as his, but her skin was tanned, making her light blue eyes stand out even more. He had to admit that she was quite beautiful, when she wasn't speaking. She had fallen asleep after explaining what happened and Poppy forced everyone from the room. Finally he could return to his dungeons.

Two weeks had passed since Allexia's battle with the Death Eaters and though her leg was healing nicely, thanks to Poppy's expert wand waving, she still walked with a slight limp. According to the mediwitch, she would be fully recovered in another week or so. Minerva playfully offered Allexia the use of her walking stick until then.

She had contacted Liz by owl, seeing as her father wouldn't let her off the grounds long enough to make a phone call. Allexia told her about Adam, the Death Eaters and becoming a teacher. When Liz wrote back she expressed her shock and anger at losing someone else she knew to Voldemort. She seemed very interested in the details of how Allexia thwarted three death eaters, which led her to believe that Liz hadn't quite given up the vengeance thing. She found Allexia's new profession quite amusing.

"I wish I'd had a professor as cool as you when I went to Hogwarts," she wrote, "Think of all the nasty little curses you could teach them! Just kidding, love, but it is frightening to think that you're going to be a major influence in these kid's educations."

Allexia tried not to think about that, but there was less than a month before term started and she still needed to make a syllabus. In the past few days, she broke the lease on her apartment, transferred her Gringott's account, and had all her belongings, furniture and all, relocated to her new set of rooms near what would soon be her office and classroom. Allexia had never had that many people in her apartment at one time, but her father was quite adamant that she be well guarded. She would humor him for now, but would have to put her foot down soon. She was much too free spirited to tolerate other people following her wherever she went.

She also had to let some of her regular clients know that she would be unavailable until further notice. Mr. Garcia was especially sad to see her go, as he told her over the phone. "I still have those handcuffs of yours, Miss Price," he reminded her. She would definitely have to take him up on the offer someday.

There was, however, one problem and his name was Nikolas Treskov. He didn't work for Allexia; she worked for him. She purposely neglected to mention him to her father when she told him about her activities, legal and illegal. Treskov definitely fell into the illegal category. He was a muggle who had immigrated from what was communist Russia in pursuit of the American dream. He found it in the world of drug and arms trafficking. Treskov has been linked to a variety of groups within Russian organized crime. Allexia met him six years ago, after one of her less scrupulous clients referred him to her. It became quite evident at their initial meeting that she was in way over her head, but when he offered to pay nearly three times more than she usually charged, desperation coupled with greed began to take over. She was tight on money at the time, so she neglected to think of the long-term consequences of getting involved in such a dangerous game. Most of Allexia's work for Treskov consisted of kidnappings or collection of extortion money. The two were almost always linked. She hadn't done a job for him in over a year, but he liked her to be ready whenever he called. He has others like me on his payroll, she thought.

Allexia had managed to slip away into her now vacant bedroom to make the phone call, whilst the others were in her living room and kitchen. She had figured on speaking to one of his assistants, but surprisingly he was not busy when she called.

"Alexandria, it has been too long, " he said, "What a pleasant surprise, kak pozhivAesh?"

"I'm fine, Nikolas. I wanted to let you know that I'll be out of the country for a while on a much needed vacation."

"You will be missed, Sashen'ka. I was hoping you would come to my daughter's birthday party in a few weeks."

"I'm sorry. Please give Sophie my love and wish her a happy birthday for me," Allexia said sincerely. She had somewhat of a soft spot for the little girl.

"Very well. I hope you enjoy yourself, but do not stay away too long. Do nOvyh vstrEch."

_Do not stay away too long._It went much better than she thought it would, but she got the sinking feeling that all her previous indiscretions were going to catch up to her, no matter how far she ran away.

Her new chambers at Hogwarts were arranged much the same way as her apartment back in the States, though her home theater system and stereo were useless now. Tonks was a big help. The younger witch made her laugh with all her different faces and they were becoming fast friends. Tonks was currently admiring Allexia's closet full of clothes, asking occasionally if she could borrow something.

"Take whatever you like! I'll be wearing robes most of the time now anyway," she told her, "Just leave anything black, those are my favorites."

In the end, Tonks made off with three shirts and one skirt. Before leaving, she turned and pulled a manila envelope out of her robe.

"Here's a copy of the official report on the Jacobson case. I could get into a lot of trouble for this, you know."

"You rebel! A girl after my own heart," Allexia teased, but added seriously, "Thank you."

Tonks left and she limped over to her sofa and flopped down. She knew her father had a copy of the reports, but he wouldn't let her see them. Something about her being too close to the family, he'd said. For Liz's sake, she wanted to do everything in her power to help find the missing boys. Ebony came over vying for affection. Allexia had taken to spoiling the feline in appreciation for her help. With her cat purring contently in her lap, she began to read through the papers.

"Albus, I have exhausted every avenue of information regarding that design and still nothing! As for the use of twins, there are numerous references; spells, potions, and rituals." Severus Snape paced in front of the headmaster's desk.

"We have members looking into it inside the Ministry, but I am afraid they too are coming up empty handed. The longer those children are with Tom Riddle, the worse the situation gets. We don't even know if they still live."

"It would have been better for them had they been killed like their parents," Snape commented. Sadly, Dumbledore nodded in agreement. A knock came at the door. "Come in!" called the old man.

Allexia entered carrying a bundle of papers. She seemed startled to see Snape. "I could come back later if I'm interrupting anything."

Her father shook his head. "No, no, we were just finishing up. Thank you, Severus, we will speak more on this later."

Snape nodded to the headmaster and scowled at Allexia before sweeping from the room. "Dad, why is Professor Snape always…"

"So difficult?" He finished for her.

"Well, I was going to say always such an asshole, but that works too."

Dumbledore chuckled softly. "Severus isn't very sociable, but he is a brilliant man. The nature of his work for the Order also takes a great toll on him."

She sat down and eyed her father with great interest. "What does he do exactly?"

"That is for Severus to tell if he so chooses. Secrecy is essential to his mission." He offered her a lemon drop, which she happily took. "What brings you here, my daughter?"

"I brought you my tentative syllabus. I will probably have to make changes once term starts based on what the kids actually know, but from what Minerva and Filius have told me, they've gotten a somewhat sporadic education."

"That is true. I hope you are not put off by that fact that the position seems jinxed."

Allexia laughed, "I'm up for the challenge, but we'll see how I feel at the end of the school year." She turned serious all of a sudden. "There is something else I wish to speak to you about."

"Yes, of course, what is it?" he asked concerned.

"I had Tonks get me copies of the Jacobson reports. Please don't be angry with Tonks, I persuaded her to do it. I read through them and none of it makes much sense to me, but I might be able to find out more about the symbol."

"I'm not angry, dear, I just didn't want you to rush into something because of your relationship with Elizabeth Brooke. What do you know of the symbol?"

"Well, I don't know a damn thing, but there is an associate of mine who specializes in things like that. He would probably be able to tell us much more."

Her father seemed skeptical. "There are already experts at the Ministry working on it."

"My associate knows a lot about dark rituals and has access to obscure texts that the Ministry may not. He doesn't even live in the country so he wouldn't know about the Jacobsons, he would just think it's for my own research."

"Where is this man?"

"Italy."

Dumbledore stared at his desk for a few seconds, thinking on what was just revealed. "I will have to think about it, Allexia."

"I thought so, Dad," she rose to leave, "Let me know what you think of my syllabus too."

A/N: "Kak pozhivAesh?" "How are you doing?" Sashen'ka is a Russian pet form of Alexandra. "Do nOvyh vstrEch." "Until we meet again." I decided to introduce Treskov because I wanted to show some of the darker parts of Allexia's lifestyle and like she said, her past is probably going to catch up to her. Love it? Hate it: -)


	10. When Worlds Collide

A/N: I decided to change the summary for this. What do you think? I've also changed the character options from Albus D. and Minerva M. to Albus D. and Severus S. since Snape will start to be featured more. I will try to put in some more AD/MM here and there, so don't worry. Thanks for sticking with my fic. : -) As always, I love your comments.

"What is it really that's going on here?  
You've got the system for total control  
so is there anybody out there?  
Now watch us suffer, cause we can't go,  
what is it really that is in your head,  
what little life that you had just died.  
I'm gonna be the one that's taking over,  
now this is what it's like when worlds collide..."

- _When Worlds Collide_,Powerman 5000

Chapter 10

Yesterday, Allexia had failed to mention to her father that she had already owled her associate. I guess I could call Francis a friend, she thought absently. She opened the window to let a small owl in. Allexia removed the missive from its leg and gave it some of Ebony's treats before it took off again. The cat looked indignant at having her own food handed out to a bird and voiced her dislike.

"Oh hush, kitty."

Allexia opened the letter and read it with excitement.

_Alexandria,_

_How surprised I was to receive a letter from you! It has been far too long since we last spoke._

_I hope all is well with you, Songbird. I must say that I am intrigued by your description of the symbol. _

_It sounds familiar, but I will have to see it to be sure. When are you going to go on another dig with me?_

_This old man could sure use the company. I look forward to hearing more about your symbol._

_With Regards,_

_Francis_

She smiled, remembering her time in Italy two years ago. She was working undercover when she met Francis . He invited her to an archeological site and told her all about the symbols and runes they found. He also inadvertently helped her track down an arms dealer she was tracking for Treskov who hadn't kept his end of a bargain. She came clean about her profession and Francis didn't seemed to mind in the least. He thought her life was exciting. She had offered him a cut of the money, but he refused, saying he only wanted to remain in contact. Even though it wasn't her best subject, Allexia had always found ancient runes fascinating and she jumped at the chance to be part of a dig. It was nice to be able to do something that didn't involve violence for a change. She was pulled out of her memories by her father's voice coming from the fireplace.

"Could you come to my office, dear?" he said.

"Sure, I'll be right there." She took a handful of powder and threw it into the fire. "Headmaster's Office," she said clearly, stepping through. She had just moved out of the fireplace when Professor Snape appeared behind her.

Albus Dumbledore stood in front of his desk, resplendent in maroon robes. Amusement shown in his eyes as he watched his daughter and the potions master size each other up. "Good morning, Professor Price, Professor Snape." Allexia's eyes widened at being addressed by her new title. Better get used to it, she told herself.

"Good morning, Headmaster," she replied, using his title as well. Snape, she noted, said nothing, but nodded in acknowledgement.

"I have thought about what you said yesterday, Allexia, and I am giving you permission to pursue it, but on my conditions." He addressed Snape, "Allexia believes that she knows someone who can tell us more about the symbol found on Mrs. Jacobson."

Snape looked sidelong at her, his brow arched in clear disbelief. "Is that so?"

"He lives in Italy and I would like you to accompany my daughter to a meeting with this gentlemen."

"What?" both Snape and Allexia said at the same time.

"Allexia, I do not want you to go by yourself and Severus has been doing his own research, so I believe it will be beneficial for him to go as well."

Snape turned to Allexia. "Who is this man? Can he be trusted?"

"He is a Magical Symbologist, with a specialty in dark rituals. I seriously doubt he has heard of the attack on the Jacobsons and besides, the papers didn't mention what the symbol looked like. He is not connected to the Ministry in any way." She could tell he wasn't satisfied, but he didn't question her further.

Dumbledore spoke again, "How soon can you set up a meeting?"

Allexia looked away guiltily. "I, uh, already owled him and he agreed to meet with me. I just need to let him know when and where."

Her father looked disapprovingly at her, but only for a moment. "You can leave after lunch, then, I will arrange for a portkey to take you to Italy and back to Hogwarts. I don't need to remind you that this is to be kept secret."

Allexia told her father of an alleyway near a pub where they would most likely meet, so he could coordinate the portkeys. She had to send Francis an owl to let him they were coming. Snape cornered her in front of the gargoyle guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

"So, how did you see the symbol? I was under the impression that I was the only one shown the reports. Did you go through my office?" he accused.

"I got my own copy, thank you very much, and I most certainly didn't go through your things. How dare you even accuse me! Let me get this straight, Professor, I'm in charge of this little mission. It was my idea and my source, so just keep your mouth shut and be a good little boy, while I do the talking." She got right in his personal space in order to prove she meant business.

"Are you quite through, Miss Price? The sooner this is over the better, even if this symbologist of yours knows anything. Now, kindly get out of my way, so I can get some peace before I'm forced to spend time in your company." She moved aside and glared as he moved past her down the corridor.

"That's _Professor_ Price to you, sir!"

Allexia had written to Francis, telling him to meet them at 2:30 in their usual pub. She also changed into muggle clothes, since they would have to walk through a muggle part of town to get there. She idly wondered what Snape would wear. Allexia chose a loose black skirt and a low-cut burgundy top. She completed her ensemble with knee high boots and her trusty leather duster. She looked at the clock; it showed ten minutes to one. They were supposed to leave at 1:00, so she gathered her notes and wand and headed to her father's office.

Snape was already there with her father. He wore black trousers and a tailored long-sleeve black shirt. Allexia had to stop herself from checking him out. Sure he's not bad to look at, she thought, but then he opens his mouth. The potions master was having similar thoughts after seeing Allexia.

"Well, are you both ready? This portkey will reset in three hours so it can be used to bring you back here. Understood?" Dumbledore explained, showing them an empty beer bottle. Allexia wasn't sure she wanted to know where her father got that. He handed Allexia the bottle. "I expect the both of you to be back here in three hours. I will be waiting."

"We'll be here." She looked at the large grandfather clock. They had a minute to go. Allexia held out the bottle for Snape to take hold of and before long the office disappeared and was replaced by a narrow alleyway. Snape was about to set the bottle amongst some trash when Allexia stopped him.

"Wait a second." She took out her wand and tapped the bottom of it. An "X" appeared, etched into the glass. "There are tons of bottles back here, how else would we know which one to hold onto," she explained.

"I would have remembered," he said haughtily.

Allexia rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's get going." He followed her through back alleys and marketplaces. The sun was shining overhead and Allexia discreetly cast a cooling charm on both of them.

"Where are we exactly?" Snape asked, annoyance evident in his deep voice.

"A little town on the outskirts of Rome. We're almost there." Five minutes later they stopped outside a small pub. The way muggles seemed to ignore the building, Snape guessed it was like the Leaky Cauldron. He watched Allexia take out her wand and tapped twice on a knothole on the door. It opened and they went inside. It was much darker in here than it was outside. Snape didn't mind in the least. Patrons sat at tables drinking and eating. Up at the bar were some shady looking wizards drinking scotch and who knows what else. A small band played on a stage in the back. Allexia scanned the room for Francis, but she couldn't find him. It felt strange being here after two years. While she was undercover, she worked here as a waitress. It was a surreal experience to have a "regular" job, but it was fun.

"Alexandria!" A man stepped out from behind the bar and approached them.

"Valentino?" Before she could say anything more, he embraced her and claimed her lips in a passionate kiss. She tried to pull away, but her body had other plans. Out of all the men in her life, Tino was the best kisser. She heard Snape clear his throat behind them. Apparently Tino heard too and released her.

"Alexandria, you have returned! Welcome back!"

"I thought you had gone to Paris." Her cheeks were still flushed from the exchange.

"I am still saving money," he said in a thick Italian accent. His attention shifted to Snape. "I have been replaced I see. New boyfriend?" She pleaded the professor with her eyes to go along with it.

"Yes," she chimed in. "This is Alan. Alan this is Valentino." Tino held out his hand, which Snape tenitively took while shooting Allexia the worst glares she'd ever seen.

"Sorry, Alan, about my overly amorous greeting of Alexandria. But when faced with such beauty again, I could not stop myself."

"Just make sure it doesn't happen again," Snape said. Wanting to stop anything further from happening, Allexia asked Tino where Francis was.

"He is in the private lounge. Go on, I will bring wine."

Snape followed his "girlfriend" into a small room off to the side. There was only one table occupied by an older wizard with gray hair and mustache. He stood up when they entered the room.

"There's my pretty songbird!" Allexia hugged him affectionately. "You look good, Alexandria."

"It's nice to see you again, Francis. You've lost weight, I think!"

"You're right, my dear, I have. You have brought a friend, I see."

Allexia suddenly remembered that Snape was with her. "This is my boyfriend, Alan. We're doing research together."

Francis shook his hand. "Doesn't sound very romantic to me, but whatever turns you kids on." He motioned for them to join his table. Tino came in shortly with a bottle of wine and some glasses. He gave Allexia and Snape plenty of space. The professor's hard stare must have gotten through to him. Once they were sipping merrily at the wine, Allexia got right down to business.

"This is a drawing of the symbol I told you about." She passed him the parchment. Francis put on his glasses and took a few minutes to go over every detail. He would pause occasionally to make a note in his book. He looked at it from all angles, finally giving it back to Allexia. His face was suddenly grave.

"That symbol is part of a very old and very dark ritual. I only know of one text in my possession that references it. Where did you find it?"

"A client of mine found a robe with this symbol on it in her attic. She wanted to know if it made the robe a collector's item. I was also just curious as to its origins."

"Hmmm, I've never heard of it on a robe before, but that doesn't mean anything."

"What kind of dark ritual was it used in?"

Francis looked around, as if to check for spies. "I would not speak of it aloud. Not here, certainly. I can make you a copy of the text in which it is mentioned."

"We leave in an hour and a half. Can you get it by then?" He laughed at her. "Of course I can. Just wait here." Francis disappeared with a pop, leaving Snape and Allexia alone in the private dining room.

"I told you he would help us."

"We shall see. Do you usual make such a spectacle of yourself when you meet old boyfriends?" he said, voice dripping venom. "Speaking of which, I never agreed to pretend to be your new one."

"Sorry about that, but it got Tino off of me. I honestly thought he'd be long gone by now. He got too clingy when we were dating, that's why I broke things off. It's just for today, Professor."

"As captivating as the tales of your love life are, I cannot wait to be back at Hogwarts."

"You really are an asshole, you know that, Snape! Do you have any friends?"

Before Snape could retort, Francis apparated back into his chair, as if he hadn't left. He handed Allexia a bundle of papers and another small book. "That's the book of sonnets you were always so fond of," he said, when she glanced at him questioningly. Allexia shrunk the papers and the book down so they would fit in her jacket pocket.

"Thanks a lot, Francis. It was wonderful seeing you again, but we should be going."

"I'm not letting you go that easily, my songbird. Just one number before you go. Everyone will be disappointed if you don't."

Snape looked at the two of them slightly confused. She began to blush slightly. "No, I don't think I could."

"Nonsense. Valentino!" The bartender came at once. "Ah, Tino, tell the band to be ready. Alexandria's going to perform once more for us."

Tino smiled brightly. "Magnifico! I'll tell the boys." He left in an excited rush.

"Damn you, Francis." She laughed at his face and went out into the main dining room. Snape and Francis followed. The older man headed for a table near the stage and Snape headed for the bar. He saw Allexia remove her jacket and hand it to Francis.

"You are a lucky man, Alan." Came Valentino's voice from behind the counter. "She's a tiger in the bedroom, eh? Don't know if you've found this spot yet, but if you kiss her right behind the ear, she'll purr like a kitten."

Snape moved to join Francis before he punched the smirk off that man's face. "Ah, Alan, sit down. This is how I first met your sweetheart. I would come here every weekend to hear her." The crowd grew silent as a portly man climbed on stage.

"We have a special treat for all of you today. Many of you may remember her when she was a waitress and performer here two years ago. She has agreed to do one number for old times sake. Please, welcome back Alexandria!" Most of the male patrons moved closer to the stage, hooting and hollering as Allexia took the stage. Candles appeared on all the tables, creating a sensual atmosphere. The bandleader cast a small sonorous charm on her voice and signaled the guitar player. Allexia looked out over the crowd and slipped easily back into the role she assumed two years ago. She had always loved music. Her mother would sing all the time and she encouraged Allexia to take voice, as well as, piano lessons. Vincent, the guitarist, began playing a slow, Spanish sounding opening. She launched into the song, her voice deep and husky.

_'Everything you are, everything you'll be,_

_touches the current of love, so deep in me._

_every sigh in the night, every tear that you cry,_

_seduces me.'_

She swayed her body to the rhythm of the music causing some of the men to whistle and cheer. As the song progressed she moved down off the stage and into the audience. Serenading various men, one on one, was her favorite part. It made her feel powerful.

_'And if I should die tomorrow,_

_I'd go down with a smile on my face._

_I thank God I've ever known you, _

_I'd fall down on my knees,_

_for all the love we've made.'_

Snape watched with seeming disinterest as Allexia glided off the stage and amongst the patrons. She seemed to revel in their attention. He tried hard not to stare at her, but she was quite commanding. As the song neared completion, she moved in front of stage. Not quite knowing why, she had been purposely avoiding eye contact with Snape. Probably worried about what he would undoubtedly report to her father. For some unknown reason she found herself lost in his black eyes. The professor realized that she was moving closer to him, so close in fact, that she ended up sitting on his lap with her hands pressing into his chest. She moved her face just inches from his as she sang the final bars.

_'And all that you do, seduces me.'_

The band stopped playing and the room erupted in applause. Allexia remained in that position for two breaths before realizing where she was and quickly got back on stage. She smiled sweetly and took several bows. Removing the charm, she ignored several requests for an encore and approached the table with Snape and Francis. The older wizard gave her a big hug and thanked her for complying with his wishes. Snape reminded her that they needed to be leaving. She could tell he wasn't happy. It took another ten minutes to make it back outside. Everyone wanted to say goodbye personally and she promised the owner that she would come back again soon. Once they were walking down the road, Snape let into her.

"What the hell was all that? That was far from business-like, Price," he snapped.

Allexia stopped in her tracks, her temper flaring. "Well, excuse me for having friends! You didn't expect me to just ignore them, did you? I said I was sorry about Tino."

Snape halted his steps and hissed, "You didn't need to include me in your little exhibition! That sort of thing may charm drunken Italians, but I refuse to be made a spectacle of. I'm just glad this damned excursion is over!" Giving her no time to retaliate, he took off in long strides. Being nearly as tall as he, she caught up in no time.

"Alright, Snape, I'm sorry I drew all that attention to you, but you didn't seem to mind too much at the time. Besides, I had to keep up the charade of you being my boyfriend! Be thankful I didn't sing the whole fucking song to your face." He didn't say a word, so she continued. "Can't you just forget about it and be glad we now have information about that symbol and quite possibly what Voldemort is up to?"

"It would be wise not speak his name, lest you bring unwanted attention to yourself!" he said.

"Don't tell me you're one of those people who are terrified of his name. What if he had called himself Lord Fluffy Bunny? Would you be afraid to say that?"

Snape looked irritated. "Do you take nothing seriously? So many ignore the power of names! In Egypt, Isis became one of the most powerful deities, second only to Re, by simply learning his secret name. Just threatening to expose it was enough to sway the sun god into doing her bidding."

"But that's just myth!" she exclaimed.

"You're thinking like a muggle! Look at the world in which you are a part of. Centaurs, phoenixes, and basilisks are all part of muggle myth, but you and I know these creatures exist. Those who practice the Old Religion sometimes take on another name as part of their dedication ritual. Do not tell me that names hold no significance. Those who have not witnessed the Dark Lord's power first hand would do well not to invoke his name."

Allexia looked at him in disbelief. "And you have?"

Snape chose not to answer and they remained silent the rest of the walk back to the alleyway. Allexia was annoyed with her companion's attitude toward the whole situation. _What secrets are you hiding, Snape?_ She also couldn't quite shake the feeling of his body under hers when she sat on his lap. His chest felt muscular underneath her hands, much to her surprise, and his scent still lingered in her nose. It was a musky smell with a hint of sandalwood. She had felt him tense up and he didn't breathe nor move while she sat atop him, lost in his eyes. Allexia shook her head to stop where her thoughts were leading to and focused on the road. Once they were back in the alley, Allexia found the bottle and checked her watch.

"We still have about ten minutes," she told Snape. He simply grunted in return and leaned against a wall to wait. She sighed and sat down on a crate. Taking out the miniature stack of parchment, she returned it to normal size. Snape moved closer when he saw what she was doing.

"I think we should wait until we are back at Hogwarts before going through that," he commented, making it sound more like an order than a suggestion.

"I was just going to look through it a bit!" she barked in response. Honestly, she was curious as hell. She looked at the heading of the chapter.

Song of the Mastabba Galgal

She could sense Snape watching over her shoulder as she skimmed through the pages. There were about eight pages on the subject, including a diagram of the symbol. Allexia caught words like "heightened powers" and "blood-letting." There also seemed to be a reference to a deity called Adrammelech. She looked at her watch again.

"It's just about time," she announced. Two minutes later, they were on their way back to Hogwarts.

* * *

A/N: Allexia sings "Seduces Me" by Celine Dion.


	11. Sing Along

A/N: Yay! I'm on vacation for a week! Now I can really work on my stories. Hopefully I'll finish "Light the Bealltuinn Fires" and crank out a few more chapters of this story. (I just started writing chapter thirteen) It's tough. I've got the whole story plotted out and I know what's going to happen, but now I have to link them all together. Bear with me, okay: -) As always, thanks for reading!

"If I sing a song,  
will you sing along,  
or should I just keep singing right here by myself?

If I tell you I'm strong,  
will you play along,  
or would you see I'm as insecure as everybody else?"

- _Sing Along_, Blue Man Group featuring Dave Matthews

Chapter 11

The headmaster sat calmly at his desk, a half eaten bag of his favorite lemon candy within reach. He was concentrating on the bowl of liquid silver swirling in front of him and had just transferred the ordeal of Allexia's attack into the pensieve when two people suddenly appeared with a pop. Dumbledore didn't seem startled in the least; he was expecting them after all. Not yet acknowledging them, he returned the pensieve to its place of rest in the cabinet near his desk, and then addressed the newly arrived couple.

"Right on time, Professors!" he said. "How was Italy?"

"Warm," his daughter answered, removing her jacket and getting comfortable in a large leather chair. "I think we struck gold, Dad."

She handed the papers to him and he read the heading. "Have you read through this?"

Snape, who was still standing, spoke before Allexia could get any words out. "I thought it best to wait until we returned before going through them, but Professor Price let her curiosity get the best of her."

"I just looked at the chapter headings and the diagrams. What's wrong with that?" Allexia said, clearly annoyed. Dumbledore glanced at the two of them and wondered, idly, how they managed not to kill each other during the mission. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Mastabba Galgal is Babylonian, I believe, for _great twins_. That was how they referred to the stars that make up the constellation, Gemini. The fact that Riddle has taken twin boys seems to fit with the theme of the manuscript." He shifted through the pages some more. "It seems that the purpose of the ritual is to increase magical energy, but in addition it grants long life without aging and can be known to increase fertility in wizards."

Snape looked briefly to the woman seated next to him, then spoke to the headmaster. "It is rumored that the Dark Lord is planning for an heir to take over the family business, if you will."

Allexia wondered where he had come across something like that. Her father didn't question him, leading her to believe there was something she was missing and resolved herself to finding out more. Dumbledore tapped his wand on the manuscript and it made two duplicates of itself. He handed the copies to Snape and Allexia.

"Excellent work, Allexia. You have already proven your worth to the Order." He said this to Snape as much as to his daughter.

After Professor Snape left, Allexia asked her father about Snape's knowledge of Voldemort. "How does he know so much about him and his plans?"

Dumbledore wasn't sure how much he should divulge. "Severus has connections, as you do, my dear." She nodded her understanding, but interpreted his cryptic reply to mean that it was none of her concern.

_'Though very little is know about the origins of the ritual, the most_  
_widely accepted theory is that a Babylonian priest named Kelzzar, during the Kassite dynasty,  
__discovered tablets with a dark ritual inscribed upon them beneath Esagila,  
__the chief temple of Marduk in the city of Babylon. When an Assyrian king  
__named Tukulti-Ninurta invaded and carried off the divine image of the god  
__Marduk back to Assyria, Kelzzar used his newly strengthened magic  
__to help his fellow Babylonians take back the city and the statue. Kelzzar  
__made only one copy of the ritual and hid the original tablets. The power  
__began to consume him and he became paranoid and suspicious of  
__everyone around him. Half of the text he supposedly carried with him at  
__all times and the other he kept locked in his chambers at the temple.  
__All the priests who aided in the ritual vanished under mysterious  
__circumstances, except his young apprentice. Kelzzar is said to have  
__perished when Assyria and Elam attacked at once, ransacking the temple and taking  
__their beloved idol once more, thus ending the Kassite dynasty. His apprentice, finding his  
__master's body on the temple steps, took the text and the keys to Kelzzar's  
__inner chambers. Whether or not he found the second half of the ritual  
__remains a mystery, as the apprentice was never again seen in Babylon.'_

Later that night, Allexia sat in front of her fireplace going over the manuscript trying to find anything helpful. While all the historical information was fascinating, it didn't shed any more light on what Voldemort was up to. All she knew was that he needed the blood of twin boys, the younger the better, and a New Moon to gain more power. The other parts of the ritual were still a mystery. What puzzled her most was that there was nothing to indicate how the power was transferred. There has to be come sort of conductor like an amulet, potion, or even another person. Perhaps the boys are the conduits, she thought. A popping noise and a head appearing in the fire disturbed her thoughts.

"Liz! I've missed you. How have you been?"

"I miss you too, love, but I've been busy with work, as I'm sure you have too, _Professor_ Price. Merlin, that sounds odd!"

Allexia put the manuscript down. "I guess I better get used to it though. So what brings your head to Hogwarts? Besides catching up with your best friend, of course."

"Actually, not a whole lot has happened since the funeral, at least personally. I went on some dates, but they turned out to be complete disasters. Some men just aren't cut out for Elizabeth Brooke. Anyways, the main reason I flooed is that I'm being transferred to Hong Kong! My company is opening up a base of operations there and they want me to help out. They also need me to check out the local competition." Even through the flames, Allexia could see the predatory gleam in her friend's eyes. Liz definitely loved her job.

"Sounds like fun. When do you leave?"

"In a week, so I'll be busy taking care of the move until then. I'll send you an owl when I'm all settled, okay?"

"Don't get into too much trouble. Hope to see you soon, Liz!"

The mystery of the Mastabba Galgal ritual was put on hold as the first of September grew near. Allexia was starting to second-guess her decision of becoming a teacher. All the professors were busy making last minute adjustments to their lesson plans, so she spent most of her time in what would be her classroom, getting it organized and decorated to her liking. She read through some of her mother's journals from her early years of teaching to help her prepare. Her father's advice to her was to be herself, but did the children really need to be exposed to a foul-mouthed, tattooed, whiskey drinking, metal-head from L.A.? At the very least, Allexia didn't want to be the boring teacher that everyone griped about after class.

She was also curious about Harry Potter. She'd heard plenty about him and his friends from practically everyone besides Snape and they all said the same thing, "Don't bring up Sirius Black." Well, just because they're dead doesn't mean they should be forgotten, she thought. When her mother died, all her school friends were afraid to mention it and always walked on eggshells around her. It was hard at first, but eventually Allexia could speak of her mom without choking up. She wasn't going to do that to Harry. From what she'd heard from Tonks and Molly, he acts just like any other sixteen year old; hormonal and moody, accept with the added pressure of being the "boy who lived" and the "boy who's eventually going to kick the Dark Lord's ass."

"The classroom looks good," came a woman's voice from the doorway. Allexia broke from her trance and noticed Minerva standing there.

"Sorry, didn't see you there. Thanks, I think I'm finally finished, but I still don't know if I'll be any good at this." The deputy headmistress moved to the front of the classroom and took a seat in one of the front desks. Allexia noted with happiness that she was no longer using her walking stick and appeared perfectly able to manage without it.

"Allexia," Minerva said, "you're the right sort for this. You have a commanding presence, confidence in whatever you put your mind to, and an extensive knowledge of the subject, to say the least. It reminds me of me." They both laughed.

"Thanks for the support, Minerva."

"Come on, the teachers are going out for our traditional pre-term dinner at the Three Broomsticks. We do it every year on the evening before the students are to arrive. No Firewhiskey for you, though," she added, referring to Allexia's first run in with that drink.

"Ah! No fair. Alright, I promise to be on my best behavior too." Allexia stood and put on her cloak. "Wait, is Snape going to be there?"

Puzzled, Minerva answered, "Yes, why?"

A malicious grin spread over her face. "I take back that promise."

* * *

Severus sat drinking his second brandy wedged between Dumbledore and Flitwick. Every year he had to suffer through another one of these blasted affairs. There was no way he could get out of it either, not with the headmaster doing everything possible to make sure he showed up. He was just about to order another drink when the deputy headmistress walked in with Allexia in tow. He watched as they made their way to the bar.

"I think Professor Price will be an excellent defense teacher, Headmaster. Wouldn't you agree, Severus?" commented the petite professor.

Severus scowled at him. "I'll believe it when I see it," was all the answer he gave.

"I agree with you, Filius," Dumbledore chimed in.

Flitwick spoke again, "Though I believe some of the older boys may find her a bit distracting. She is, after all, the most beautiful DADA teacher we've had in years." He smiled in Allexia's direction.

Her father laughed, adding, "I think Gilderoy Lockhart may disagree with you on that one."

That's all we need, thought Severus, a bunch of horny teenage boys mooning over a professor. He noticed she had stayed at the bar while Minerva joined Hooch and Sprout. There were at least ten men flocked around her. She laughed and flirted with them before joining Minerva and the rest of the hens. As she walked away, several of the men handed her slips of paper. Tactless buffoons, he thought.

"What do you think, Severus?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Obviously your mind was occupied elsewhere," said Dumbledore, having followed the potion master's line of sight. "We asked if you think another Dueling Club would be well received?"

Severus snorted in annoyance and motioned the waiter for another drink. "Perhaps," he concluded, "but to avoid the disaster that was our last Dueling Club there must be more supervision. I, for one, have no desire to witness a chaotic free-for-all." Flitwick and the headmaster agreed.

"I shall have to think on it more," concluded Dumbledore.

* * *

Allexia stared at the small pieces of paper in her hands. Some contained addresses and others phone numbers. There was even one email address. The other women teased her immediately upon arriving at their table. "So how many of those did you come away with?" Minerva asked while pointing to the papers Allexia was stuffing in her pocket.

"Seven, I think," she answered.

"One for every night of the week!" Madam Hooch volunteered, receiving incredulous stares from Minerva and Allexia, but causing Professor Sprout to giggle like a schoolgirl. Allexia recovered and laughed along with Sprout and Hooch. The deputy headmistress couldn't keep herself together for much longer, so she raised her glass in salute and joined in.

"That would be a bit hard to do with school in session," added Allexia.

"Then you'd have to squeeze them all in on the weekend, I suppose," offered Sprout, in a voice made more bubbly by the wine she was consuming.

"You'd be awfully sore on Monday," remarked Allexia, completely deadpan. The uproarious laughter that followed caused other patrons to look in their direction. Allexia caught the gaze of her father's twinkling eyes. He just smiled and shook his head.

By the time Madam Rosmerta came by to usher them into the banquet room for dinner, the laughter still hadn't died down. Allexia looked at the women surrounding her and smiled. Her nervousness over the coming school year dissipated and she looked forward to getting to know her new friends better.

The next evening, Allexia started getting ready hours early to insure that she had plenty of time to shower and get dressed. She didn't want to start out by showing up late for dinner. She looked at herself in the mirror, which told her that she should wear more color. She had on basic work robes, black of course, that she got from Hogsmeade. Her hair was pinned up in a loose bun and she wore small silver framed glasses. She didn't need glasses, but they belonged to her mother and it made her look more distinguished. Allexia glanced at the picture of her mom.

"Look at me now, Mom," she whispered. There was a knock at the door. "Come in!"

Her father came in and kissed her softly on the cheek. "How are you this evening?"

"Nervous again. What do you think?" She twirled, indicating her attire. Dumbledore looked her over, lingering on her spectacles. "The glasses are a bit much, aren't they?" she said, removing them.

"You look fine, dear. Actually, you look a lot like your mother with them on. Shall we go to the Great Hall?"

"Sure, oh wait! I have to wear the hat Minerva bought for me or else she'll be angry," she grabbed it off the back of a chair. It was a smaller version of Minerva's hat, with a dried rose stuck in it. Situating it on her head, she took her father's arm and left to start her new career.

The Great Hall seemed much smaller with the long tables arranged in the middle and all the teachers present. Allexia greeted Hooch and Sprout, who introduced her to some of the teachers that had just arrived that day. As usual, Snape was the last to enter, having walked through the doors just as the headmaster was instructing the professors to take their seats. Allexia took the seat on her father's left. He gave her a wink and squeezed her hand, which calmed the butterflies in her stomach. Come on, Allexia, she thought, you've faced men with guns and taken on Death Eaters by yourself, what's a room full of kids. But as she watched the students arrive in droves and seat themselves at the long tables, she concluded that she would rather face armed criminals than this.

Picking up on her feelings, as usual, Dumbledore squeezed her hand again. Her eyes roamed the hall and she spotted the boy who could only be Harry Potter, flanked by his friends, Ron and Hermione. Minerva had told her of their many misadventures. Allexia saw the doors open and the deputy headmistress came in with the first-years following. There were about fifty of them and each looked excited, terrified, or a combination of the two. An old shabby hat was placed on a stool and it began to sing. The Sorting Hat went on for nearly ten minutes, singing about the four great houses and how Hogwarts must stand united, teachers and students. Not bad for an item of clothing, she thought. She leaned over to her father. "Does it take requests?"

"Hush, now!" he chided, but giggled anyway. As Allexia watched each child try on the hat she was grateful that she never had to go through such a process. At Salem, the students are presorted and when you get your acceptance letter, it also tells you what house you'll be in. Though she had to admit that a singing and talking hat was a much more entertaining way to go about it. After the last first-year was sorted, Dumbledore stood and the room instantly quieted.

"Welcome, my friends, to a new school year. I am glad to see that the majority of you have returned." Allexia hadn't noticed that not all the tables were full. Slytherin house seemed the most depleted, while Gryffindor was by far, the most crowded. The headmaster continued, "Due to the current state of the wizarding world, we must be extremely cautious. As always, the forest is forbidden and any who venture there will serve detention with our caretaker, Mr. Filch. For third-years and up, Hogsmeade visits will start in three weeks, but you will now be in designated groups and accompanied by a professor." That statement caused groans of protest to emanate from all tables, including the staff's. Apparently not every professor had heard the news. Dumbledore raised his arms to bring the room back to order. "Your parents have entrusted me with your safety and I will not take that duty lightly. Furthermore, I trust that you will watch out for each other, no matter what house your in. Moving on, we have some new teachers this year. Professors, if you'll kindly stand as I introduce you. Please welcome Professor Davenport, who will be teaching Muggle Studies, Professor Jenkins, who'll be teaching Ancient Runes, and finally, Professor Price, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Allexia rose at the appropriate time and stood paralyzed by the hundreds of curious eyes assessing her. She smiled briefly before sitting back down. "I suppose there's nothing left to do, but tuck in." Dumbledore clapped his hands twice and on cue, every table was suddenly laden down with food. Allexia leaned over to her father as he sat down and whispered in his ear.

"Show off."

* * *

A/N: Just some background/misc info – The temple complex of Esagila, located in the center of Babylon, was 660 feet long with three immense courtyards surrounded by numerous chambers. To the north of Esagila was the seven-story ziggurat called Etemenanki, known in biblical terms as the Tower of Babel. Tukulti-Ninurta was a real king who invaded Babylon in circa 1240 BC. Assyria and Elam attacked at the same time in 1155 BC. I deliberately left out dates in the story because of the 85-year gap, but still, what's 85 years to wizards? Can you tell I love ancient history?

If I haven't bored you to death like Prof. Binns and you would like to read more about ancient Babylon visit this website: www-dot-bible-history-dot-com/babylonia/index-dot-html

Please review: -)


	12. Darkest Days

"There are times when I'm just a shell.  
When I do not feel anything for anyone  
all I feel is hollow and bruised,  
used up and misused.  
Forced to be someone I don't want to be.  
Have I failed somehow or some way?  
Will the weights of today finally pull  
me down to drown in the depths of despair  
where I am alone except for my rage?"

- _Darkest Days_, Stabbing Westward

Chapter 12

Allexia's nerves eventually subsided as she got through her first class, which consisted of Ravenclaw and Slytherin first years. Her confidence rose throughout the morning classes and she felt fully capable to handle the older students after lunch. She sat quietly behind her desk and watched the group of sixth-year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs make their way into the classroom. She smiled at a few as they found seats. As the bell signaling the beginning of class tolled, her students looked at her expectedly. She rose and moved to stand in front of her desk.

"Welcome to your sixth year of Defense Against the Dark Arts. I hope that it will be more productive than your previous years. I am, as you all know, Professor Price and as you can guess, I'm an American, so bear with me if I do things differently than you're used to." Allexia noticed that one student had the textbook and some parchment out, ready to take notes. It was one of Harry's friends. "You won't be needing those today, Miss?"

"Granger, Professor. Hermione Granger." The young woman quickly put them back in her bag. Allexia continued, "I thought I'd start out by telling you a little about myself. First off, I attended the Salem Witches' Institute and went on to auror training with the American Ministry's Magical Protection Agency. I was also a dueling champion at school and my favorite subjects were potions and defense. Well, with that said, we won't be starting anything new until I figure out where you guys are at. So what do you know about the Unforgivables?"

She then spent the next hour asking them random questions about defense and dark arts in general. Between their second year with Lockhart and last year with Umbridge, they were about a year behind where they should have been. Some were surprisingly well read (Miss Granger) and seemed to know even more than what was in the curriculum. The young man who answered her question about boggarts, blushed, causing several others to snicker.

"Okay, what's so funny?"

"Neville's boggart took on the form of Professor Snape, so when he cast Riddikulus, Professor Snape ended up wearing his gran's dress and hat," answered Seamus Finnegan with a smile.

Allexia snorted uncontrollably and tried with no success to contain her laughter. When she composed herself, she began wrapping up the lesson. "So does anyone have any questions?" Only Miss Granger asked whether they would have homework. Amid the groans of her classmates, Allexia told them to read the first chapter of their textbook. She watched them leave in groups after the bell sounded, her eyes lingering on Harry Potter. He hadn't attempted to answer any questions nor did he seem at all interested in what was going on around him. She saw him whisper something to his friend, Ron, but that was the most animated he had been. He's withdrawn into himself, she thought. At dinner, Minerva asked her how the day went. "Not bad, I think, but we'll see how tomorrow goes." Allexia piled a good helping of potatoes on her plate. "How did Mr. Potter act in your class today?"

"I don't think he heard anything I said," Minerva answered. "The poor boy has lost so much. Last year he was so full of righteous anger, but seeing him depressed and quiet, I think I miss his previous angst."

Allexia nodded. "He was the same in mine. He didn't even attempt to participate."

"Let's keep an eye on him. If it persists, I will talk to him," Minerva said, while glancing down at her house table

During her patrol that night, she ran into Snape, literally. "Watch where you're going, woman, and stay out of my way!" She knew he was trying to be intimidating, but when she looked up at him all she could think of was Neville's boggart. He wasn't pleased when she started laughing.

"Are you daft? What the hell is so funny?" Between her giggling, he made out the words "Neville" and "boggart". That was enough to tell him she was laughing at his expense. He hated being made a fool of and, after the boggart incident, the staff had snickered behind his back just as much as the students. Snape grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her into the wall. "Shut up, damn you!"

Allexia stopped laughing instantly, taken aback by his violent outburst. For a moment she was lost again in his bottomless eyes. His temper was frightening, but she couldn't deny that a part of her liked it. More often than not, she was the one doing the slamming up against walls. It took her brain several seconds to register that this wasn't a sexual act and she responded in anger.

"Get your hands off me, Snape, and get over yourself. You need to learn to take a fucking joke! Besides, doesn't it concern you that this boy's worst nightmare is you?"

"Longbottom is a spineless, buffoon! I don't care what he thinks of me."

Her hands went involuntarily to her hips as she ripped into the potions master. "You're his teacher for crying out loud! What do you mean you don't care? Oh, just because he's not one of your precious Slytherins, that makes him beneath you? How can he learn anything if he's scared to death of you? What the hell do you do to your students?" She was shaking with anger. "And, speaking of _your_ Slytherins, Draco Malfoy is the most arrogant, inconsiderate little shit I've ever met."

"Are you finished, Price?" asked Snape, examining his fingernails. "Let me see if I have this right. I'm supposed to be friends with Longbottom, but you can insult Mr. Malfoy all you want, is that it? I suggest you practice what you preach. Just because your daddy's little girl, does not give you the right to make assumptions or criticize how I run my classroom. Need I remind you that I've been doing this far longer than you! Regardless of your relation to the headmaster, you need to learn your place."

"Fuck you, Snape!" she huffed.

"You must get your manners from your mother. The headmaster can, at least, conduct himself with good breeding and respectability."

Allexia's fist hit his jaw with a satisfying crunch. "Don't you ever talk about my mother! You don't know anything." Without a backwards glance she stalked off down the hall and out of sight, leaving Snape rubbing his face. He looked down at his fingers and saw droplets of blood. His lip was split and his head was still ringing. The pain in his head was pushed aside as his left arm began to burn. As he made his way down to the dungeons, though, he couldn't help but admit that she had quite a right hook.

Back in her chambers, Allexia counted backwards from ten in an effort to put a damper on her temper. She walked to the fireplace, which the house elves had lit earlier in the evening, and glanced at the pictures on the mantle. The centerpiece was a large photograph of her mother, taken a few months before she was killed. Her mom's smiling face was calming, but reminded Allexia of just how much she still missed her. Ebony jumped on the sofa and mewed in greeting. Allexia started pacing in front of the fire.

"Where does he get off telling me I need to learn my place? He's such an arrogant son of a bitch!" The cat began bathing herself, knowing she wasn't going to get any attention from her frustrated mistress. "I should have hit his nose and straightened it out for him." Allexia headed for the bathroom, leaving a trail of clothes in her wake. A nice bubble bath was just what she needed.

* * *

The boy looked around the dark room frantically, as if searching for something or someone. He was in a cage, like the ones at the zoo. He remembered going there with his brother and parents. There were shadows moving beyond the bars and he clutched his sleeping brother instinctively. A shadow was moving closer, becoming the shape of a woman.

"Mommy?" he whimpered.

"Oh, I'm not your mommy, love, but I promise that when this is all over, you'll be seeing her again."

"But I want to see her now!" he cried, but the woman's throaty laugh scared him silent. He buried his face in his brother's back, trying to hide from the shadows.

"You are scaring the poor child," came a high, raspy voice. The woman stopped laughing immediately.

"My Lord, I did not hear you come in. I apologize…"

Voldemort silenced her with a gesture and peered into the cage. The boys were pretending to be asleep. "You shouldn't be afraid of her, my little Gemini's. The only one you should fear is me." In a sweep of robes, he left the room with the woman following close behind.

"Have you found what I requested, yet?" he asked her.

"Yes, she was in Hong Kong. There was no trouble, but I wiped her memory just in case."

Voldemort nodded his approval and dismissed the woman.

Snape stood back in a corner observing the gathering Death Eaters. Pettigrew paced in front of the door, nervously anticipating the Dark Lord's arrival. His silver hand shimmered in the torchlight. The door opened causing Pettigrew to stiffen, but it was only Bellatrix. Even with her hood up and mask on, Snape knew her identity. She walked into the room like she owned it and some of the Death Eaters even shrank in her presence. She came to rest next to who he assumed was her husband.

The Dark Lord entered several minutes later and he moved to sit in his customary chair by the fire. Bloody throne, Snape thought. Nagini was curled around it, only stirring from her nap long enough to acknowledge her master. The Death Eaters moved into a circle.

"Welcome my faithful," Voldemort began. "Much has happened since we last met. The ritual is in the early stages, but already I have acquired the twin boys and the blood of their mother needed to begin the first stage. I thank the Jacobsons for their contribution to our cause." There was laughter all around. "However, in the midst of all these good tidings, I am disappointed. Goyle; Brachen; Macnair; step forward!" The three wizards lumbered to the center of the circle and knelt before him. "Remove your masks. Weeks ago I asked the three of you to bring me someone, but perhaps such a seemingly simple assignment was too much for your insipid brains! One witch and her cat managed to foil three of my Death Eaters. I'm sure you have not forgotten the consequences of your failure and I am in no mood to repeat them. However, I will offer this warning." He pointed his wand at Brachen, who was the middle one of the three. "Angustio spiritus," he murmured. Brachen's hands immediately went to his throat as if an invisible force was choking him and he fell backwards. His face quickly turned red, then blue. The other Death Eaters watched as he struggled for breath and some, like Bellatrix, smiled under their masks, enjoying the torment of others. "Finite incantatum."

Brachen's face returned to its usual color after taking many deep breaths. He was still breathing raggedly when Voldemort dismissed them back into the circle. "Further disappointments will not be taken lightly. I must say I let the three of you off quite easily. Though perhaps given the identity of the witch, I should have expected such results. You are probably quite curious to know who she is, are you not?"

There were affirmative whispers all around. Snape was growing tired of the Dark Lord's usual flair for the dramatic. "My faithful, she is the chink in Dumbledore's armor. She is the key to his undoing. Who would have thought that the great and righteous Dumbledore capable of fathering an illegitimate child." More whispers arose amongst his followers and he silenced them with a hand. "She has been hidden all these years in America, but now she has come to Hogwarts as a teacher. Severus, please come forward."

Snape tensed out of habit, but recovered quickly enough to kneel before Voldemort and remove his mask. "My lord?"

"Severus, tell me, who is the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?"

"An American named Alexandria Price."

"Has Dumbledore acknowledged her as his daughter?"

"No, my lord. He has only stated that she is a family friend," Snape answered, wondering idly where Voldemort was getting all this information.

"I want this woman, but I see no need to expose their secret just yet. I have something else in mind. Speak of this to no one! You may leave." Snape started to stand. "Except you, Severus." All the others disappeared into the air. Only himself, Voldemort, Pettigrew, and the Lestranges remained.

"I have a special request of you," Voldemort said as he reached down to stroke Nagini. "I wish for you to gain his daughter's trust. I don't care how you do it. Befriend her; woo her; bed her, whatever it takes. Make her willing to do anything for you."

Snape was taken aback by the demand. "My lord, she is arrogant and stubborn. It will not be easy. I don't see-"

"Use _any_ means necessary, Severus, I will not take no for an answer. Your lack of enthusiasm has concerned me as of late. Consider this a test."

Defeated, Snape drew himself to his full height. "Of course, my lord. I will not fail you."

"See that you don't. We will be watching, Severus."

Back in his dungeons, Snape poured himself two glasses of rubbed his jaw where Allexia's fist landed earlier that evening. _He expects me to gain her trust!_ He downed both glasses, one after the other, and moved to the fireplace. He needed to tell the headmaster of this latest meeting. Dumbledore's head appeared in the fire looking decidedly chipper even though it was well after midnight.

"Severus? What can I do for you, my boy?"

"I was summoned this evening."

Dumbledore nodded and his head disappeared. Snape stepped out of the fireplace in the headmaster's office a few seconds later. He took a seat and told Dumbledore the details of the meeting.

"So the boys are still alive?" the old wizard said with relief. "That is good news. According to the manuscripts, the ritual must be done during a new moon. The next one is in two weeks, but you said he is at the beginning stages. We can only hope for a rescue before he gets further into his preparations."

"There is one more thing. The Dark Lord is aware of your daughter's appointment here and he wishes me to gain her trust. What he plans on doing after that, I am not certain. He said it would be a test of my loyalty."

Dumbledore looked uneasy. "Most likely he wishes you to deliver Allexia into his waiting hands. Be careful, Severus." He was deep in thought for a short while. "I don't think we should tell Allexia of Riddle's plan, but I wouldn't mind if you and her got along better."

The potions master sneered and moved toward the fireplace. "If that is all, Headmaster?"

"Yes, of course. Goodnight, Severus."

Lying in bed some time later and struggling to go to sleep, Snape thought about the Dark Lord's words. _Bed her, whatever it takes!_ Remembering the look of abhorrence on her face after he insulted her mother, he thought that she would sooner serve his manhood to him on a silver platter than allow him into her bed. But somewhere in the far reaches of his mind, a little voice said that a Slytherin never backs down from a challenge.


	13. Figure09

A/N: As always, thanks for reading! I'm trying to update every 7-9 days, but will see where that goes. I'm sure some of you are wondering at my pacing and where this is leading. I hope you stick with me. I know what's going to happen, which is why I'm trying not to rush it. Am I moving too slowly? Too fast? Just fine?

"Nothing ever stops all these thoughts and the pain attached to them.  
Sometimes I wonder why this is happening.  
It's like nothing I can do would distract me when  
I think of how I shot myself in the back again.  
'Cause from the infinite words I can say I  
put all the pain you gave to me on display.  
But I didn't realize instead of setting it free I  
took what I hated and made it a part of me."

- _Figure.09_, Linkin Park

Chapter 13

"I have decided to allow another dueling club," announced the headmaster. Allexia grinned excitedly whilst the other professors exchanged hesitant glances. They knew what happened last time. "Professor Price will be in charge of coordinating and running the club," he intoned, "along with Professor Snape."

Allexia's smile faded. "With all due respect, Headmaster, I can do it just fine on my own."

Snape, looking just as angry, spoke with a venomous timbre. "Headmaster, I hardly have the time to participate in such an endeavor. Surely, you can find another professor to aid our esteemed Professor Price."

"I'm afraid you are the best man for the job, Severus, besides I think the students will benefit greatly from your combined talents," Dumbledore stated, hoping to quell any hostility between the two. "I expect the two of you to work together in this and we will meet on Friday evening to discuss your preparations. Well, that I believe concludes this meeting. Enjoy the rest of your evening, professors.

"Don't worry, Lex, you can handle him," whispered Hooch as she was leaving the staff room. Allexia hadn't moved from her chair and neither had Snape. They were alone in the staff room, each waiting for the other to speak.

"We will meet tomorrow after dinner in my office." He said this with finality and made to leave the room.

"What if I said no?" He stopped and turned, staring incredulously at her. "You could have at least asked whether or not I _could_ meet you tomorrow evening. You can't order me around, Snape! If we're going to be partners in this, you are going to have to learn to listen to my opinions."

"I am already forced to listen to your opinions. You are the headmaster's favorite, remember?"

Allexia banged her fist on the tabletop. "Damn it all to hell, Snape, I'm sick of you acting like the middle child!" She began her usual temper cooling ritual. _10, 9, 8…_ "Can we at least try to act like adults in front of the students?"

"I have no problem with that, Price. I'll see you in my office tomorrow evening." He left before she could object.

_7, 6, 5…_

* * *

It was now three weeks into term and Harry had improved slightly. Allexia learned that Minerva had indeed taken him aside in an effort to get down to the bottom of his behavior. She also spoke to Ron and Hermione in the hopes that they would talk to him as well. Apparently it did some good as he started answering questions in class. Her father had broken down and told her about Harry's outburst at the end of his fifth year. It had made her feel guilty about her own. Allexia wanted to speak to Harry about it, to let him know that what he wasn't the only one to ever react in such a manner, but doing so would only expose her as Dumbledore's daughter. She was resigned to watching him from afar and was pleased to see that he, along with practically every other sixth-year, had signed up for the dueling club. He needed a controlled setting to vent his aggression.

Allexia hadn't expected such a large turnout and wasn't prepared to handle the amount of students. She was actually grateful that Snape was there with her. They had decided to limit the dueling club to only third-years and above, much to the younger student's discontent. Allexia had to promise them she would incorporate dueling into their lessons. The Great Hall had been cleared of all tables save the staff's and Allexia stood in front of it, looking apprehensively into the sea of teenagers.

"Can I have your attention, please?" Her voice echoed off the walls, but there were still some students who hadn't stopped talking. She opened her mouth to call the room to order when Snape beat her to it.

"Silence!" he roared. The students shut their mouths instantly upon hearing the potion master's thunderous voice.

_Almost grateful._ Allexia shot him a quick glare before proceeding. "Listen up, please! Before we break you off into pairs, I want to set some ground rules. Use only those spells covered in class. I don't want any funny business." She purposely looked at the Slytherins. "If you are caught using an unauthorized spell, you will be removed from the dueling club, house points will be deducted and you will serve detention. Any questions?"

"May we have a demonstration of a proper duel?" asked Draco Malfoy, haughtily. "It would be most beneficial to our education."

Allexia wouldn't have been surprised if Snape had put it his favorite pupil up to it just to give him a chance to humiliate her in front of the students. "I really don't think that would be good idea, Mr. Malfoy." The different looks she was receiving from around the hall told her that Malfoy wasn't the only one who wanted a show.

Snape stepped forward, smirking ever so slightly. "I am inclined to agree with Mr. Malfoy. Surely one who was dueling champion the final two years of her schooling has no need for such modesty."

She was being backed into a corner and was damned ready to wipe that self-satisfied look off the potion master's face. "Very well, but, like all of you, we will only use spells covered in the textbooks." The two of them went to opposite ends of the staff table and climbed on top. In traditional dueling fashion they saluted with their wands and walked ten paces. Allexia cast a shield charm while Snape cast Expelliarmus, but the disarming spell couldn't penetrate her defenses. Spells, curses and counter curses escaped their lips so fast that many students had trouble keeping up. Allexia was mildly impressed with Snape's prowess. She had to reset her shields since he found several ways around them. She had tried a blasting spell, the conjunctivitis curse, and even the Bat-Bogey hex, but none reached their target. She was getting tired and angry.

Finally, one of Allexia's binding charms hit home and Snape was confined in ropes. She had thought herself victorious, but Snape's reflexes were quicker and he managed to cast a vanishing spell causing her ropes to disintegrate before they could completely contain him. His eyes shot daggers at her. Snape was furious that something so simple as a binding spell got past his defenses. He decided to make things more interesting.

"Corvinus!" he shouted. His wand emitted a black mist, which turned into a large raven. It crowed loudly and flew towards Allexia. On pure reflex she ducked, the raven's talons missing her head by inches. That wasn't a spell covered in any of Hogwart's textbooks, as it bordered on dark magic. It was clear that Snape had decided to forgo the rules. Fine, she thought, that makes two of us.

The raven was coming around again, but this time Allexia was ready. "Incendio!" The bird ended up in a charred, smoking pile. Completely forgetting about the large group of students observing the spectacular battle, the two professors dueled with such ferocity that some of the prefects decided that they needed to summon the headmaster. Bets had even begun to be placed throughout the audience.

"Fumigo!" Snape's spell enveloped her in a cloud of smoke.

Allexia coughed and her eyes stung. "Avi flabrum!" A gust of wind blew the smoke away, but unfortunately it went out into the students. She was just about to cast another curse when her arm stopped in midair. In fact her whole body ceased moving. She saw that Snape was in a similar predicament.

"That will be quite enough, professors!" The sea of teenagers parted to make way for a rather irate headmaster. "I believe that was a more than adequate exhibition." Dumbledore murmured something under his breath and his teacher's regained use of their limbs. "Students, I'm afraid you will have to wait until next meeting to try it out yourselves. You are dismissed."

As they reluctantly filed out of the Great Hall, the headmaster turned to once again look upon his professors. Allexia's face was covered in black smudges and minor cuts. Snape's normally immaculate coat was singed and gashed. He too suffered some minor cuts and bruises. They looked to the headmaster, knowing full well they had gone too far. In later years, Dumbledore would look back on the memory of their faces and laugh, but at present he simply shook his head in disappointment.

"Clean yourselves up and visit Madam Pomfrey if you need to," the old wizard told them. "I expect to see the both of you in my office in fifteen minutes."

* * *

A week had past since her father's reprimand and she hadn't spoken more than a few syllables to Snape since. The second dueling club meeting went much better. Snape took the fifth, sixth, and seventh years, while she worked with the younger students. The events of the first meeting spread to all the teachers and the rest of the school. It was now being referred to as, The Duel. She was starting to feel more embarrassed by the whole thing than proud. She was thankful that a week later the hype was already beginning to die down. Today, marked the first breakfast where no one had made some offhanded remark about it and for that she was thankful.

Owl post, as Allexia came to realize, was quite a sight to behold. It had taken her a while to become accustomed to the noise of their screeches and the flapping of their wings. Allexia normally received the Daily Prophet everyday, in addition to a muggle newspaper. She was engaged in a lively discussion with Prof. Vector about just why sausages were called "bangers" when an owl dropped the LA Times right into her eggs. "Damn, bird," she muttered. Vector turned her attention to Hooch, letting Allexia catch up on her current affairs. She perused the front page, noting that it was filled with the usual headlines. At the bottom, however, there was a small article that caught her attention.

_Prison Breakout; Four Men Still at Large!_

Beneath the headline were four mug shots. She dropped her fork as she gazed upon the second to last photograph. A white male with brown receding hair and a mustache peered unnervingly back at her. The caption read, "James Milton, imprisoned on charges of felony-murder and sexual assault." After all these years, seeing his face still made her sick and she regretted even more her decision to turn him over to the authorities instead of ripping his heart out. Eye for an eye, she thought fleetingly. Her pulse quickened just thinking about him and she could feel all her hate bubble to the surface. The man who turned her world upside down was out there somewhere, probably celebrating his escape. Her appetite gone, Allexia stood up quickly and with newspaper in hand, walked purposefully to the teacher's door. She left without a backward glance and failed to notice the peculiar stares she was given by her father, fellow professors, and some of the students.

Allexia stalked through the hallways and corridors that led to her classroom. She wished it wasn't a weekday for she was in no mood to teach. She picked up an inkbottle and threw it against the wall, splattering its contents. It happened to be a bottle of red ink and the bloodlike way in which it dripped and pooled onto the floor did nothing to soothe her dark, violent temper. Allexia knew that if she ever saw him again, his life would be forfeit. She looked at the clock, which hung above the blackboard. Breakfast would be over soon and she would have to face a full classroom. She cleaned up the mess just as the bell rang.

"Something is bothering you, my child, and I would like to know what it is," said Dumbledore as he watched his daughter nearly inhale her third cup of hot chocolate in ten minutes. Minerva sat watching the exchange with interest, staying out of the father-daughter conversation. "Does it have something to do with Severus? Or what happened at the dueling club?" he asked.

She began pacing on the rug in front of the fireplace. "No!" she snapped a bit too harshly. Allexia reached into her robe and pulled out the newspaper and thrust it towards her father. "Here, look at the article on the bottom."

Dumbledore turned the paper over and read the bottom portion, his eyes widening in the process. When he was finished he handed it to Minerva and went to his daughter, who had not stopped pacing. "Allexia, please calm yourself."

"How am I supposed to calm myself, Dad!" she yelled. Minerva stared at the two of them slightly confused. She read the article, but was unsure of how it pertained to them. Allexia continued her rant. "That fucking bastard is supposed to be rotting in jail, not out painting the town! How the hell do you escape a maximum-security prison? I'm telling you I should have killed him when I found him!"

"Is that what your mother would have wanted? Think about what you're saying, little one." Dumbledore tried in vain to quell her rage.

"Let me go away for a few days. I could track him down again, I know it!" Allexia pleaded to her father.

Minerva was slowly piecing together the puzzle. Dumbledore grabbed his daughter by the shoulders, shaking her gently. "That is absolutely out of the question! Not only would Riddle have another opportunity to kidnap you, but you're much too unstable right now. If you found him, what would you do? Turn him back in? I can see the revenge burning in your eyes, child."

Allexia stared unblinking into her father's eyes, desperately searching for something to say that would rationalize her hostility. Her mother was her whole world. A confidante, best friend, disciplinarian, and more importantly, the greatest teacher she's ever had. Tears were threatening to fall.

"You don't understand! If I had only killed him when I had the chance-"

"Then what?" Dumbledore interjected. "After you have delivered upon him your final judgment, will your situation be improved at all?"

She fought to keep her temper in check, even though in her heart she knew every word her father said was true. She would still be lonely and bitter even after she killed him. Allexia heard Minerva whisper something to Dumbledore. He nodded and left the room. She felt a slender, feminine hand touch her arm.

"Allexia," Minerva said tenderly. "I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through or what you have _already_ been through, but two wrongs do not make a right. Anger and vengeance are natural reactions to senseless tragedies, especially when it happens to those closest to us, but don't sully the memory of your mother by sinking down to the same level as that murderer."

"But if in the name of justice—"

"Why does simply invoking the name of justice change the acceptability of the same violent act? Once the satisfaction wears off, you will still be left with the harsh reality of your loss." Minerva hadn't intended to break into their argument and lecture the younger witch, but she felt the need to say something. Allexia had nothing more to say and, without thinking, she turned towards Minerva and hugged her. The older woman held her as best she could. Allexia was taller than the deputy headmistress and she rested her head upon her shoulder, gathering much needed comfort. There was something indescribably calming about being held by another woman as opposed to a man. She had nearly forgotten what this felt like. It wasn't that her father wasn't caring or nurturing, but nothing can replace the distinctly maternal feeling of kinship between older and younger women.

"I wish I had your strength," whispered Allexia into Minerva's ear. "I see why my father loves you so much."

Minerva smiled, tears burning her eyes. "But you do have strength, Allexia, perhaps more than you know."


	14. Something to Talk About

A/N: I know I keep changing the summary, but I'm never satisfied with it. If anyone has any suggestions, I'll gladly listen to them. I hit a bit of writer's block with this chapter because I've got so many other plot bunnies hopping around my head. Oh well. Someone mentioned they wanted more AD/MM so there's a little something at the beginning here. If you want purely AD/MM, I recommend reading my other fic, "Light the Bealltuinn Fires." : -) Thanks again for reading! Chapter 14

"Ooh, ooh, ooh,  
People are talkin', talkin' 'bout people.  
I hear them whisper, you won't believe it.  
They think we're lovers kept under cover.  
I just ignore it but they keep sayin' we...  
laugh just a little too loud,  
stand just a little too close,  
we are just a little too long.  
Maybe they're seein' somethin', somethin' we don't darlin'."

- _Something to Talk About,_ Bonnie Rait

Chapter 14

"Minerva, you are beyond a doubt the most amazing woman I have ever met," Albus said with much love and admiration in his eyes. Allexia had just left, still angry, but much calmer than before.

Minerva sat down beside him on the sofa and snuggled tightly against his body. "You give me too much credit, my dear. I am no more special than the next witch."

He kissed her gently on the forehead. "I most definitely disagree with you on that, my love, for you are certainly more special to me than the next witch. In all seriousness though, I appreciate what you did for my daughter. I sometimes forget how much Allexia misses her mother."

Minerva's face grew concerned and she took Albus' hand in hers. "I hope she doesn't think that I'm trying to be some sort of replacement."

"I know for a fact that Allexia values your friendship and understands that you're not trying to replace her mother, though I think you have done a good job filling the void, even if you haven't intended to."

"Thank you, Albus," she said, tracing the back of his hand with a finger. "I suppose since I will never have a child of my own, Allexia is as close as I'll get." Her voice held just a touch of regret and she smiled at him in an attempt to cover her feelings. It would do no good to dwell on what might have been, she thought. "Of course, I consider every Gryffindor my child, so you could say that I have more than enough children."

"I suppose we simply waited too long to act on our feelings," he said, wistfully. Albus stood up, pulling Minerva with him. She looked at him curiously. "We have also waited too long to act on our feelings _today._"

"What are you.." Minerva never finished that sentence as she found herself being thoroughly kissed by the man she loved more than anything. It sometimes amazed her how he could make her feel like a giddy schoolgirl again, just by kissing her. "What feelings were you expecting to act on?"

Albus smiled mischievously, making him appear much younger. He leaned in to whisper something in her ear, grazing her neck lightly with his teeth. Minerva's face reddened slightly at what she heard. "Albus Dumbledore, you're a dirty old man!" She couldn't keep a smile from appearing on her face though. He took her hand and led her towards the bathroom.

"Well then, my dear Professor McGonagall, I suppose I deserve a good washing, don't I?"

* * *

Later on that night, Allexia found herself wandering through the dark and deserted halls of the school. She didn't want to sleep. Too many thoughts occupied her brain. After her talk with Minerva, she had apologized to her father for acting so irrationally. She still felt all the hatred and anger, but she promised to keep them at bay and the two of them parted on good terms. It was nearly two o'clock in the morning as Allexia slowly ambled through the corridors. The only sounds were her footsteps coupled with the background noise of the portraits snoring in their frames. I really should go to bed, she thought weakly. Turning a corner, she headed in the direction of the kitchens. After tickling the pear, Allexia headed through the opening where she heard the familiar voice of one Severus Snape.

"Hurry it up! I don't want to stand here all night!" he shouted at a passing house-elf.

She turned to duck behind a cabinet, hoping to hide out until he left, but wasn't fast enough. She was spotted by another house-elf, who came dashing over asking what she would like them to bring her. "Um..a turkey sandwich on wheat bread, please." The house-elf bowed and trotted off again. Snape turned around and his face momentarily betrayed surprise at her presence before settling on annoyance. "Up rather late, aren't you?" Allexia asked dryly.

"The same could be said for you," was the only reply she got. The poor house-elf he shouted at earlier returned with a steaming bowl of soup.

"Will you be eating it here, sir?" he asked.

Snape looked from Allexia to the table before answering. "No." The house-elf nodded and snapped its long fingers, changing the bowl into a portable pot with handles. Another elf brought her a plate full of turkey sandwiches. Before she even realized what she was doing or whom she was addressing, Allexia called after Snape, catching him just as he was leaving.

"Professor? The table is large enough for two. Care to join?"

Snape seemed to contemplate the idea for a moment, but he eventually sat across from her at the table, much to her surprise. They ate in relative silence with Allexia sparing him quick glances, still unsure of what possessed her to stop him from going.

"You know, Snape, I've been thinking that the students should learn some basic non-magical combat skills. You know, self-defense techniques and what not."

He looked up from his soup with an eyebrow raised. "You're suggesting that they be taught how to beat each other senseless with their bare hands? You're out of your mind, Price."

"What's the matter? Afraid someone will ask for another demonstration and you'll have to fight me? Might be kind of fun to beat the crap out of you." An elf brought over a goblet of pumpkin juice pretending not to pay the conversation any mind, but memorizing every word to tell his fellow house-elves.

Snape clenched his fist and heatedly put down his spoon. "Is that supposed to be some sort of threat? I'd rather not have to waste my energy on you."

Allexia popped the last bit of her sandwich into her mouth and smiled coyly at the wizard. "Afraid you might like it?" _Are you flirting with him? This is the same bastard who insulted your mother!_ For a moment she saw something else besides contempt burning in his dark eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

Snape was rather taken aback by her question and the innuendo behind it. Slytherins never back down from a challenge, his mind reminded him again. "I don't usually enjoy being on the receiving end of a punch," he said, referring to their confrontation a few weeks ago. "As you are well aware."

"Well, if you hadn't acted like such an asshole, I wouldn't have hit you," she defended.

"Control your bloody temper, then!"

Allexia laughed. "Ha! Oh, that's rich coming from you! You're the one who started hurling non-textbook curses at me!"

"I was merely testing your capabilities as a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Snape said, thrusting his empty bowl into the shaking hands of a house-elf.

Allexia giggled in spite of herself. _Must be the hour._ "Did you just make a joke? My father certainly didn't see it that way!" She poured herself some more pumpkin juice, offering some to Snape. He shook his head. "Okay, Snape, here's the deal. Before we kill each other and/or give my father a stroke, I suggest we call some sort of truce. What do you think?"

Snape looked skeptical, though he thought to himself that it would get both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord off his back if he appeared on better terms with her. "Very well. For the sake of the headmaster's health, if nothing else."

Allexia held out her hand. "Good. Let's shake on it, then." He took her hand and gripped it firmly. "I promise to behave myself," she said. "Feel free to call me Allexia, or in some instances, Alexandria. Can I call you Severus?"

"I suppose if you must…Allexia."

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as her name passed his lips. _Definitely must be the hour. _"I'm not going to apologize for hitting you, though. You deserved that one."

"Well, don't expect a likewise declaration from me." Snape stood, preparing to leave before the night got any stranger in his opinion. "In case you haven't heard yet, there will be an Order meeting at the Hog's Head next week."

"I heard, but thanks for the reminder." Allexia got up as well and followed Snape out of the kitchens. He nodded to her and began walking down the hall. "Goodnight, Severus," he heard her say softly before she headed in the opposite direction. She's a fascinating creature, he thought unexpectedly. He attributed such reflections to his lack of sleep.

* * *

"My lord, do you think Snape can be trusted?"

The thin man with red eyes sat in his high-backed chair admiring the jewel-encrusted dagger in his hands. "I have heard your feelings on the matter, Bella, and they are duly noted. Whether or not Severus can be trusted is beside the point. I need his expertise if I am to succeed in completing the ritual."

"Of course, my lord, forgive my interference," Bellatrix replied. Wormtail entered the room and bowed deeply before Voldemort.

"She is ready," he said.

Voldemort placed the dagger in his belt and rose from his chair, smirking sadistically. "Come, let us attend to our newest member. The Marking ceremony is always such a pleasure."

* * *

The Hog's Head seemed a lot different without all the shady characters hanging around. Of course, now that she was sober it didn't look anything like she remembered. The room and bar was more brightly lit and lively chatter droned on in the background. Allexia made her way through the crowded room towards the barkeep. He looked familiar, but she couldn't recall whether they had been introduced. She greeted Arthur and Molly Weasley, who asked how she was dealing with teaching. Molly also expressed concern over Harry's behavior. Apparently Ron had been keeping his mother updated. The twins and Mundungus whispered a bawdy joke to her as she passed, resulting in a reprimanding look from Molly for all four of them. After giving Tonks a quick hug and greeting Remus who stood next to her, Allexia finally made it to the bar. She wondered idly if there was something going on between Tonks and Remus. They seemed rather engrossed in each other.

"Hello!" she said to the barkeep. "A pint of Guinness, please."

He nodded once and smiled at her. There was a twinkle in his light eyes that reminded her of her father. "No Firewhiskey tonight?" he asked, handing her the pint.

She grinned and blushed slightly. "Maybe later."

"You don't remember me, do you?" Allexia wrinkled her brow in confusion. "I was at your fifth birthday party." She tried to place him, reaching far back into her memories. "Maybe this will jog your memory," he said as he raised a hand to her face. His fingers gently grabbed at her nose and he closed his hand quickly, pretending to be holding something. He opened it to reveal a small fleshy brown thing: a nose! Out of instinct, Allexia's hand flew to her face to make sure her nose was still attached. She felt extremely foolish to find it still in place, but recollection suddenly dawned in her eyes.

"Uncle Abe?" she whispered, unsure of herself.

"Aye, lass."

She laughed heartily and threw her arms around him. "Merlin, it's been ages since I last saw you. I thought you were off in the Himalayas somewhere?"

"I was for a time. Do you remember what I got you for your birthday?"

She smiled at the memory. "Of course. You gave me the most adorable baby goat! I named her Rainbow, if I recall." Looking back in hindsight, Allexia wondered about her uncle's almost unnatural obsession with goats. She heard a loud bleating coming from the door behind him. I see the obsession continues, she thought.

"That'll be Julia. If you'll excuse me, Lexy." She watched him disappear into the room, chuckling to herself. She noticed that the room had started to quiet down, so she grabbed her drink and went to find a seat. Earning several peculiar stares, she sat down next to Snape towards the back just as her father called the meeting to order. Snape gave an imperceptible nod, acknowledging her presence.

"Thank you all for coming. We have made slow progress in finding the missing boys, but we do know that they are still alive." Dumbledore explain, in brief, the plans Voldemort has for the twins. Allexia had started to zone out in her own little world while she sipped happily on her Guinness. She barely registered the fact that her name was being mentioned.

"Allexia, if you'd be so kind as to tell us what you've discovered about the ritual." Dumbledore motioned for her to come forward.

She cleared her throat and walked towards her father, passing Moody who still eyed her with suspicion. "Well, we know that the ritual first surfaced in ancient Babylon. How it came to be there is still unknown. There seems to be different phases to it, all requiring very specific items. The cuts on Mrs. Jacobsen's palms were part of the ritual. He needs the blood of the twins' mother as well as their own. The sigil that was carved into her flesh is prominent throughout and is most likely how the ancient power manifests. Professor Snape managed to ascertain that the next phase of the ritual involves something called the Adrammelech Athame, a dagger used by the Babylonian priests in the sacrificing of children. I've got several contacts looking for it, but no one has seen it in a hundred years. If Vol…You-Know-Who has somehow managed to already get his hands on the dagger than the odds are in his favor." A murmuring that sounded like bees echoed about the tavern. She saw many look questioningly at Snape, as if they had a hard time believing his findings. It both puzzled and angered her. "We don't know anything of the ritual beyond this point."

Dumbledore smiled and thanked her for enlightening the Order about Voldemort's plans. She returned to her seat next to Snape. He leaned toward her slightly and spoke softly, but resolutely. "Was is necessary to bring my name into this?"

"I wasn't about to take all the credit, Severus." They had met three times after dinner to research the ritual since that night down in the kitchens and Allexia found herself liking him more and more, even though he still acted like a jerk at times. They were able to have a civil conversation without insulting each other. By the third night, he was starting to get used to her cheeky humor and she to his dripping sarcasm. Allexia could have sworn that the students in the dueling club were disappointed when they didn't get into an argument at yesterday's meeting.

The meeting went on for another hour, with various others reporting on the latest death eater activity and the current morale of the public. Every now and then Allexia would comment on the current speaker, eliciting a rather rude remark from Snape in reference to how dim-witted the wizard actually was. It could have been the Guinness, but she stifled a giggle more than once and was unaware of the suspicious looks they were getting from Tonks and Molly. The meeting finally ended and Snape was the first to leave, giving Allexia a curt nod. She wondered at his anti-social behavior.

She looked up and noticed the two witches standing before her. "Tonks, Molly, can I help you, ladies?" They sat down at the table with her, both looking somewhat uneasy. Allexia tensed up automatically.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, dear, but we couldn't help but notice that you and Professor Snape seem to be thick as thieves," Molly began. "It's just seems such a drastic change."

"We heard about the Duel," added Tonks.

The smile began to fade from Allexia's face. Molly went on, "Anyhow, we don't know what brought about this change, but just be on your guard with Severus Snape, especially if you're entertaining any ideas."

"What kind of ideas would those be, Molly?" Allexia asked with forced politeness.

Molly and Tonks looked at each other, unsure of what to say exactly. Tonks spoke first. "We just don't want to see you get hurt, given Snape's past and everything."

_Do they think I'm dating him now or something? Is this some sort of intervention?_ Allexia needed to put an end to this nonsense. "Listen, I don't know anything about Snape's past nor do I really care. We are simply trying to get along better for the sake of my father and the students. I didn't think anyone actually wanted us to go on fighting. As for these so-called ideas that I might be entertaining, I thank you for your concern, but you have nothing to worry about." She rose from the table, suddenly eager to get away. She really liked Tonks and Molly, but she hated being lectured. "Besides, I'm a big girl now and can take care of myself just fine. Don't worry about me, ladies. Have a good night."

They watched as Allexia walked through the pub, ignoring everyone that she passed. After a quick peck on the cheek to her father and uncle, she left without a backwards glance.

A/N: More useless trivia! Adrammelech was a Babylonian deity to whom infants were burnt in sacrifice. I spend way too much time atwww-dot-pantheon-dot-org, which has become one of my favorite sites. I also decided to use the speculation that the keeper of the Hog's Head is Aberforth. I'm unsure if I agree with the theory though, but it worked with my story. You can read more about it at the HP Lexicon. Please review! Thanks!


	15. 3 Libras

"Well I threw you the obvious,  
just to see if there's more behind the  
eyes of a fallen angel,  
eyes of a tragedy.

Here I am expecting just a little bit  
too much from the wounded,  
but I see  
see through it all,  
see through,  
and see you."

-_ 3 Libras,_ A Perfect Circle

Chapter 15

October the eighth, her birthday. Ever since she turned twenty-nine, Allexia had come to dread that date. She stood in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom, wearing nothing but her undergarments, and began her annual critique. She moved this way and that, looking at her body from different angles. Allexia frowned at the softness beginning to show in her arms and abdomen. I have got to start working out again, she thought harshly. _Oh shit, is that a gray hair? Two gray hairs? _Allexia began inspecting her head, not exactly pleased with what she found. _Time to start coloring._ It was Saturday, so she opted for a casual look, putting on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Noticing that she was late for breakfast, she threw on her black robes, pulled her hair up into a bun, and ran out the door.

As she walked as nonchalantly as she could to the staff table, she noticed some of the students looking at her and snickering. _Maybe they can see all my gray hairs too._ There was an empty seat next to her father and he smiled warmly as she sat down.

"Happy birthday, my dear!" he said, cheerfully. She received a similar greeting from Minerva. Allexia's response was an incoherent mumble. "Bad morning, Professor?" Dumbledore teased.

"This just happens to be my least favorite day of the year, that's all."

Her father shook his head. "Well, whether you like it or not, the staff has planned a little get together this evening in celebration. You wouldn't want to disappoint them by being cynical, now would you?"

She smiled for the first time all morning. "I suppose not. I'll leave being cynical to Severus." Allexia glanced down the table at him and their eyes met. She smirked and he glared. That was their usual routine nowadays.

"You and Severus seem to be getting along now," he commented.

Allexia poured more orange juice into her glass. "We tolerate each other. We've even managed to have civil conversations, all business of course. I must admit that he knows what he's doing in potions. Mom would probably be impressed by him."

"Speaking of your mother, that's an interesting shirt you're wearing." Several other teachers around them turned to look at her, their interest piqued by the headmaster's observation. They all started laughing. Even Minerva, who was always the steady one, giggled into her tea.

"What?" Allexia looked down and checked her shirt. She had left in such a hurry that she didn't even pay attention to what she put on. She didn't bother to fasten her robes either. The shirt was black with large white lettering. It read, "Have you hugged your potions teacher today?" _Crap!_ It once belonged to Allexia's mother and was the only item of clothing that she kept of hers, using it to sleep in now and again. No wonder the students were looking at her funny, she thought. She saw Snape leave the table, heading for the main doors of the hall. He glared at any student who dared look in his direction.

"I was in a hurry," she defended. "I'm going to go change. I'll see all of you later."

"Professor!" Allexia jogged to catch up with him in the corridor outside the Great Hall. "I need to ask you something."

Snape stopped walking and turned abruptly towards her. "What is it, Price?" he snapped.

She held up both hands in response to his tone. "Geez, I'm sorry to have disturbed you, O Great One. What's got your panties in a twist today, anyway? Is it your birthday too?" His eyes moved to look down at her shirt and he raised an eyebrow. "Oh, sorry about that. I didn't realize I'd put it on this morning."

"Yes, well your error has caused us both to be the center of unwanted attention!" He began moving again, his destination uncertain to even himself and Allexia walked along with him. She sighed loudly.

"I said I was sorry. I never wear it in public," she said. "It belonged to my mother."

Snape remembered her mentioning that her mother had taught potions a few weeks ago. They had gotten into a debate over what ingredients work best in sleeping potions. He was mildly impressed with her grasp of the subject and had enquired as to how she knew so much. He had also lately begun to look forward to their research sessions. She never failed to surprise him and he sometimes became lost in those blasted twinkling eyes of hers.

"These are my rooms," she said, stopping to indicate which portrait acted as a doorway. Snape came to a halt, his reverie broken by the sound of her voice. Allexia looked up at him, self-conscious all of a sudden. He was dressed in his ever immaculate and neatly pressed black robes, while she looked quite disheveled in casual muggle clothes with her hair falling out of its bun. "Um…would you like to come in?"

"I have papers that need marking and experiments to attend to before your…_party_, so I must decline."

A cold shiver came upon her out of nowhere. _Damn his voice. _"Ah, yes, the celebration of my getting older. I'm so looking forward to it." Her voice was filled with bland sarcasm and she saw his mouth twitch like he was trying to suppress a smile. "You know, Severus, one of these days I'm going to make you smile." Snape couldn't help but stare at her, mystified by the wistfulness of her voice. His trademark glare did its best to discourage her, but she had been long immune to it. He nodded and was about to head back to his sanctuary when heard her mutter something under her breath. "What the hell!" she said.

Allexia threw her arms around a rather startled potions master and hugged him quickly before dashing into her chambers. It lasted no more than a few seconds, but Snape could still feel her warmth and smell her shampoo. It brought other scenarios where her arms would be wrapped around him, unbidden into his head. _Damn her!_

For the next couple of hours, Allexia tried to get Snape off her mind, but he refused to budge. His dark eyes, velvety voice, and even his distinct scent seemed to haunt her every thought. He was an enigma to her, but sometimes she felt that she understood him more than she did the other professors. It had hit her one night as they were going over some books that Francis had sent over pertaining to Babylonian magic that they were perhaps more alike than not. Ever since Tonks and Molly brought up his past, Allexia's curiosity had been aroused, but she didn't dare press it. She meant what she said about it not mattering to her what he did. Perhaps, like her, he was simply trying to forget whatever lurked there; they both had enough skeletons in their closets to fill a cemetery. It puzzled her that other people were privy to his past, as he seemed like such a private man.

Whatever he did, it left a lasting impression on his personality. He was cold and unfeeling. She began to think of herself the same way in recent years, but unlike Snape, who wore his indifference on his sleeve, Allexia had covered it up with meaningless sex and good acting. At least she had a friend like Liz, who could make her forget about damn near everything and just have fun. She wondered if Snape had any real friends. He was close to her father, she knew that much, but how about wizards his own age. Allexia couldn't shake the urge to bring happiness into his life, no matter how small or how difficult that might be. She fully intended on putting a smile on his face, even if it took years. You're falling for him, a little voice in the back of her mind ventured. What was it her mother told her in elementary school? Something about the boys that pick on you are the ones that really like you. "Sure we argue a lot, but so what? That doesn't mean anything!" she said out loud. _Face it, you're attracted to him and you're falling hard!_ "Okay, maybe I'm a little bit attracted to him, but I am _not_ falling for Severus Snape." _Who are you kidding?_

"I AM NOT FALLING FOR SEVERUS SNAPE!" Allexia stood up and shouted into the room. An owl that she hadn't seen fly in through the open window squawked loudly, startled by her outburst. "Sorry, fella," she said to it, untying the letter from its foot. The owl nipped at her hand in retaliation and left in a hurry. "Ouch!" Allexia looked down at the letter and saw the unmistakable chicken scratch that was Liz's penmanship.

_Lex,_

_Greetings, love! I hope all is well at Hogwarts. How are your students faring? I'm curious as to what Harry Potter's like. I've always wanted to meet him. I'm so sorry it's been so long between letters, but I've been so busy trying to adjust to living in Hong Kong. My new boss has accepted me into the group with open arms. He's impressed with what I've managed to do so far! (As he should be, love.) I've made many new friends amongst my co-workers, even though half the time I don't understand what they're saying. The food here is incredible. P.F. Chang's has nothing on some of these people! You've never truly had Chinese food until you've been to China. Enough of my ramblings, love. I'm coming home for a week at Christmas, so I will see you then. By the way, happy birthday! _

_Your friend (who would like a red Gucci bag for Christmas),_

_Liz _

The note brought a smile to her face and she sat down at her desk to immediately draft a reply. It allowed her to think of other things besides Snape, if only for a short while.

Her birthday party took place in the staff room and after about an hour, Allexia started to think that perhaps birthdays weren't so bad after all when in the company of friends and presents. She received all sorts of things: an assortment of candy from her father, a tartan scarf from Minerva, socks with flying Quidditch players on them from Hooch, and a rather large pink sweater that Hagrid knitted himself to name a few. Snape got her a present too, which surprised her greatly. It was a book on the use of potions by the ancient Egyptians. She remembered mentioning to him that she used to have a bit of an Egyptology obsession.

"Thank you, Severus," she told him sincerely. She noticed an odd expression on her father's face as he looked at the two of them. He was planning something and Allexia didn't like it one bit. A strange noise drew her attention. Hagrid stood next to the door, holding a leash. At his feat was a brown and white baby goat with a red ribbon tied to the collar.

"I found this little thing right outside. It's for you, Lexy," said Hagrid.

Allexia and Dumbledore shared a knowing look and dissolved into laughter. She approached the animal and it gave out a tiny bleat. There was a note attached to it.

'_I couldn't resist, lass. I hope you like her.'_

It wasn't signed; it didn't need to be. She scratched the top of the goat's head and it leaned into her hand. Taking the leash from Hagrid, Allexia picked the tiny animal up and was suddenly five years old again. "Oh, isn't she adorable!" She plopped down on the floor in the middle of the room and started petting it. Flitwick came over to inspect her new pet and told her she needed to pick out a name for it. While she was deciding, she looked over to where Snape was seated. He looked at the goat like it was some foreign object and was probably more likely to cook it as keep it as a pet. Quite suddenly, his face screwed up in pain and his left arm tensed. It lasted only a few scant seconds, but it worried and confused Allexia. She saw him get up and whisper something into her father's ear, before walking past her towards the door. "Leaving already?" she blurted out.

"I need to check on my experiments." He continued walking out the door without another glance, his voice sounding strained. Allexia looked to her father for answers, but found his face unreadable.

The party wrapped at about eleven, fairly early for Allexia, who normally stayed up until the wee hours getting insanely drunk on her birthday. Hagrid let her put the little goat, which she named Caramel, in the school's stables. She didn't really want to have a goat staying in her rooms and Ebony wouldn't appreciate the intrusion either. After seeing the animal nicely tucked into the straw, she couldn't take sitting alone in her quarters. She kept thinking about Snape and his abrupt departure. Stop thinking about him, her mind screamed. _I need to get out of here._

Allexia grabbed her leather duster and left. He father had forbid her from leaving unaccompanied, but she didn't care at the moment. She stepped into the Three Broomsticks and found an empty stool up at the bar.

"Here by yourself, Professor?" asked Rosmerta from behind the counter.

Allexia looked up in surprise. She'd forgotten about the barmaid. "Yeah," she answered, "and I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone either."

"Suit yourself. What can I get you?"

"She'll have a scotch on the rocks, Rosie," came a male voice from behind her, "as will I."

Allexia turned and looked at the wizard. He had neatly trimmed brown hair, hazel eyes, and was clean-shaven. _Not bad._ Rosmerta looked at her questioningly. "A man after my own heart!" Allexia said, nodding her approval at the order. Rosmerta returned a few seconds later with two glasses and the man sat down beside her.

"My name's Matthew, by the way. I don't think I've ever seen you in here before."

* * *

As always, a circle of masked followers in black robes gathered around Lord Voldemort, hanging onto his every raspy word. "There is now only one stage left in our preparations for the ritual. Come Spring, we should be ready and then all will fall under my power."

Snape shuddered as the cheers erupted him around him. Even with all the research Allexia and him had done, the Dark Lord still knew more than they did and was one step ahead. He balled his fists in frustration. The official part of the meeting was over and the entertainment was brought in. Scantily clad men and women filed in one by one, ready for the inevitable debauchery. Most of the death eaters had already removed their masks and were in the process of removing their robes as well. Snape was about to leave when Wormtail shuffled towards him.

"You can't leave yet, Snape, Master wishes to speak with you." Snape followed him without a word. Voldemort stared coldly at the potions master. He absently stroked the half-naked woman seated in his lap, like she was a lapdog. Snape wondered if she was aware of the horrors that awaited her at the hands of that vile creature.

"What progress have you made with Dumbledore's daughter, Severus? I heard that you have been spending more time with her lately, locked away in your office."

"She thinks we are friends, my lord. Another month and I'm sure she will be eating out of my hand." Snape plastered a sickening smirk onto his face and hoped it looked convincing.

Voldemort smiled slightly. "Very good, Severus. I have heard that the Ministry holiday ball is being held at Hogwarts this year."

"Yes, my lord, on December the tenth."

"Excellent. I want you to escort her to the ball. At midnight, get her to meet you in the forest for a tryst or something and we will take her unawares. A nice early Christmas present for me, wouldn't you say?" Snape nodded. Voldemort gestured around the room. "I trust you will not leave before indulging yourself, Severus." It was meant as an order and Snape had no choice but to comply..

Fifteen minutes later, he had some woman pinned against the wall, her legs wrapped around his hips. She panted and moaned in pleasure, but he had tuned her out from the beginning of their encounter. His thoughts were of a certain raven-haired witch with blue eyes who he was certain would be the death of him. She had been on his mind all evening and for many evenings before this one. He couldn't help but imagine Allexia in place of this woman, but it only served to infuriate him more. Snape needed to forget about her. He increased his speed and tried to concentrate on his partner.

* * *

Allexia wandered up the path that led from the front gates to the castle, her vision still a bit fuzzy from all those scotch on the rocks. She had sobered up enough to realize what a mistake she'd made. _Back to one night stands, Lex?_ The back of her top was still dirty from the dingy wall in the alley behind the pub. Matthew seemed like a really nice guy and she wanted nothing more than to convince herself that she had no feelings for Snape. She only succeeded in disgusting herself and thinking of that bastard of a potions master more. If she hadn't left her wand at the school, Matthew wouldn't remember ever meeting her. _That's right, obliviate all your problems away._She heard something moving in the bushes, but she didn't see anything when she stopped to investigate. Feeling the need to throw something, Allexia found a large branch and hurled it into the night, letting out a frustrated yell.

"Happy fucking birthday."

After she had made it to the front steps, Snape emerged from the bushes and watched as she fumbled with the doors. Fighting the urge to assist her, he walked around to the greenhouses to use another entrance. Bloody woman, he thought, she can find her own damn quarters.


	16. If You're Not the One

"If you're not the one then why does my soul feel glad today?  
If you're not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way?

I don't want to run away but I can't take it, I don't understand.  
If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am?  
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?"

-_If You're Not the One, _Daniel Bedingfield

Chapter 16

The day after her birthday, Allexia didn't leave her rooms except to check on the little goat once in the afternoon. She felt like shit and not just because of a hangover, but because she'd gone back to her usual routine of booze and one-night stands. Her father came by to see her, but she told him she wasn't feeling well just to get him to leave her alone. Allexia knew he could probably see right through her, but thankfully he played along and wished her a speedy recovery.

Days passed, then weeks. Halloween was three days away and Allexia still couldn't shake her unwanted attraction to Snape. The more she saw of him, the more she began to fantasize about being with him. What scared her the most was that not all of her fantasies were sexual. It didn't help that they were still meeting twice a week for research purposes. Tonight, Allexia found herself, once again, in Snape's office going over the ritual. She figured they might as well give up seeing as how Voldemort already was way ahead of them.

"We still don't know how the power gets absorbed! There is nothing in any of these texts that describes the actual ritual, just the preparation." She was getting frustrated. "How is it that we know so much about what he's already done? Are we spying on him or something?"

Snape shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He wasn't prepared to let her in on his secrets and it seemed no one else in the Order had taken the time to enlighten her about his past. Good, he thought. "The Order has its sources," he replied somewhat cryptically.

"Well, sources are good and all, but only if they're trustworthy." After they finished for the night, Snape walked her back to her quarters, something he'd never done before.

"Allexia?" She didn't think she would ever tire of hearing him say her name. "I know the Ministry ball is weeks away, but they are requiring that all in attendance be escorted. I would rather not be there at all, but your father would have my head if I didn't show up." Allexia looked at him expectantly. "I was wondering if you would accompany me to the ball. If I must go with someone, I'd rather it not be a woman I'd want to strangle by the end of the night like Hooch, or worse, Trelawney."

She was lost in thought for a few moments. "I'm honored, Severus, but you've wanted to strangle me on more than one occaison."

He smirked slightly. "That is true, but I have learned to tolerate you and I think I can control myself."

She arched a brow and smiled. "Very well then, I will go with you."

Snape nodded curtly. "Good. Have a pleasant evening." He hurriedly walked away, leaving Allexia shaking her head. Should I be feeling giddy?

"Oh gods, I'm twitterpated."

* * *

"Is there something bothering you, Albus," Minerva asked, moving her rook into position, "you seem distracted."

Albus looked up, obviously not hearing her words. "I'm sorry, my dear, did you say something?"

"I said you seem distracted and that question just confirmed it. You're also two moves away from being mated and we just started playing twenty minutes ago." Minerva reached placed her hand on his arm. "I will ask again, is there something bothering you?"

He studied the chessboard for a moment and realized that she was right. Albus placed his own hand on top of hers and patted it softly. "I'm just a little worried about Allexia. She's been acting differently lately."

"How so?" asked Minerva.

"Ever since her birthday, she's been acting a bit withdrawn and melancholy, but the other day she came into the Great Hall with a smile on her face, acting like the girl I once knew. I'm just curious as to what caused this transformation." Albus narrowly managed to move his knight out of harm's way. "She's been spending a lot of time with Severus and that can't be having a positive effect on her. I know they seem to be getting along now, but both of their personalities are so explosive that who knows how long that will last."

Minerva thought about what he'd said while she surveyed the board. "I do admire their dedication to solving this riddle of You-Know-Who's ritual. I think Allexia can handle her own against Snape any day." There was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" The object of his thoughts glided into the room and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Allexia! I was just thinking about you. How are you?"

Allexia smiled and greeted Minerva before answering her father. "I'm just fine, Dad. I'm not interrupting am I?"

"No, I was just losing spectacularly to Minerva." Albus eyed his daughter suspiciously. "You seem much improved from your birthday. I haven't seen you after hours that much. You always seem to be with Severus."

Allexia felt her face growing warmer and knew she was blushing. "I'm not always with him."

"If you say so, my dear. Lemon drop?" He indicated the small bowl next to the chessboard filled with his favorite candy. She gladly took a piece.

Minerva shook her head in silence. "Both of you are going to rot your teeth with so much candy!"

"Nonsense!" Father and daughter said at once. They turned to each other and smiled. "Are you happy here?" Albus asked.

Allexia smiled thoughtfully at the old wizard. "I am. Some days I miss the crazy life back in LA, but this is so much better. I really love it here."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. So, my daughter, have you given any thought as to the Holiday Ministry Ball? You know you have to go with a partner, right? There are plenty of good looking young aurors fluttering about Hogsmeade."

Allexia felt her cheeks going pink again and she suddenly became fascinated by the carpet. "Actually, I've already found a date."

"Really? Who's the lucky man?" asked Minerva, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"Well, um, you see, Severus asked me to go with him."

Her father's eyebrows reached all the way to his hairline in surprise. "Did he now? How very interesting." A short while later, Allexia left leaving the older couple staring at each other in concern.

"I can't believe Severus asked her. I know he was quite opposed to the mandatory escort rule," commented Minerva.

Albus was still shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't believe she said yes."

"Can you not?" she questioned, picking up on something that he obviously missed.

"What do you mean, Minerva?"

Her eyes traveled to the door that Allexia just exited. "I think it quite apparent that your daughter is attracted to Severus. I've seen her. She stares at him quite a lot and she appears happier because he asked her to the ball. What may have started as contempt seems to have blossomed into something else entirely."

Albus looked at his partner like she'd grown a second head. "Attracted? To Severus? I don't see it at all. Besides, it would never work between them. He has far too much emotional baggage."

"So does Allexia. Perhaps their similarities are what attracts her to him. They both have sordid pasts, hot tempers, and are too intelligent for their own good sometimes."

Albus unwrapped another sherbet lemon. "I still don't see it. Even if it were true, I don't see it ending in anything else other than heartache."

* * *

Severus sat marking papers in his office after dinner with his mind not entirely on the task before him. He couldn't help but notice that Allexia seemed in much better spirits since he asked her to the ball. She seemed to be constantly smiling and at him no less. It was a pleasant change from the looks he normally received from his colleagues. He admitted that she had a lovely smile, but he couldn't understand why she would be directing it at him. She can't actually be looking forward to accompanying me, he thought. Furthermore, Minerva seemed to be looking at him more, as if sizing him up. Whatever the reason, he didn't like being under her scrutiny.

Someone rapped lightly at his door. "What is it?" he shouted. The door opened slowly to reveal the headmaster.

"Sorry to disturb you, my boy, but I wondered if I might speak to you." The old wizard closed the door and sat opposite the potions master. "I hear that you asked my daughter to the Ministry Ball."

Severus set down his quill and looked at his employer. I knew this was coming. "Was I supposed to ask your permission before doing so, Headmaster?"

"Now there's no need to get snippy with me, Severus, I am simply curious as to why."

The younger man ran a hand through his dark hair and took a deep breath. "If you must know, it is because the Dark Lord ordered me to."

Dumbledore seemed surprised. "What is he planning?"

Snape told him all about the plot to lure Allexia into the forest and kidnap her. He also voiced his concerns about being able to keep up his Death Eater charade. Voldemort will have spies at the ball, of that he was most certain. How could he possible protect Allexia and not look like a traitor at the same time.

"That is quite a predicament," said Dumbledore, getting up from his chair. "I will post extra security around the forest and the rest of the school on the night of the ball. Hopefully, Tom won't even come near here."

Severus had a sinking feeling that a handful of extra aurors would do nothing to stop the Dark Lord.

* * *

November flew by and Allexia found herself making last minute preparations for the ball. She didn't understand why she was so excited about a party. Her classes were going well, even though she was taking points from Slytherin every time she turned around thanks to Malfoy and his cronies. Aside from being able to attend with Severus, she was looking forward to making her dad proud by being more a part of his society. It was so different than the one she was used to in LA. If the truth of her paternity came out, she didn't want to be an embarrassment to her father. She was reading up on the society columns in the Daily Prophet in an effort to better understand what she was getting into. Unfortunately, she didn't like it one bit.

She had gone shopping with Minerva in Diagon Alley to purchase both their attire for the evening. Allexia didn't think she would survive the teasing the older woman inflicted on her. All because she was going to a ball with Severus. She helped Minerva pick out a beautiful red gown that she would accent with a wrap of her clan tartan. Allexia assured her that it was modest enough not to shock anyone, but gorgeous enough to knock her father's socks off.

Now that the day of the ball was here, Allexia spent the whole of the afternoon getting ready. She wished Liz were there to help her with her make-up. She was a little sad that she hadn't heard from her in quite a while, but she did say she was coming for Christmas. There, finished! Allexia looked at the picture in the magazine and compared it to her reflection in the mirror. Just about right. Her thick hair was curled more than normal and she wore if half up, half down. It was pinned up with beautiful silver barrettes. She twirled around observing the way her dress shimmered from silver to green depending on the angle. She chose the colors in the hope that Severus would approve. It was made of silk with sleeves that came down to her elbows and a form-fitting bodice. The neckline was low and accentuated her…assets. Some earrings and a necklace rounded out the ensemble. She had gone to all this trouble for him and she kicked herself for it. Allexia had never needed anyone's approval before, why start now? Because you're hopelessly enamored with him, that's why.

The clock in her living room chimed and there came a knock at her door. He's very punctual, she thought. With one last glance in the mirror, she took a deep breath and went to answer the door.

Severus fidgeted in his dress robes, uncomfortable in anything besides his customary work ones. They looked similar in cut, but the material was velvet and he wore an outer cloak that was bordered with silver serpents. His boots were polished to a pristine shine and his hair was tied back away from his face. He brushed off an imaginary speck of dirt from his sleeve as he waited for Allexia to come to the door. When she finally did, Severus was shocked to find that his brain had ceased to function properly.

He stared at her for a few moments, taking in her appearance. Part of him was pleased that she had taken so much trouble just for him and admired her work, while another part of him wanted to rip off the gown and proceed to thoroughly ruin her meticulous hairstyle.

"Do you like it?" she asked, hopefully.

A thousand compliments and flowery words entered his mind, but he had always found them clichéd and any man who spouted off with them was an idiot. He was beginning to understand what was responsible for making them that way. In the end, he decided on one word. "Yes." Apparently, that was enough. He noticed a faint blush spreading across her face. "Shall we go?" Severus extended an elbow to her, which she gladly accepted and they made their way to the party.

The ball was taking place outside in a magical tent that looked modest in size on the outside, but was as large as the Great Hall on the inside. There were already a lot of people there, when they entered the tent. Their arrival caused many a head to turn. Allexia marveled at how beautifully decorated it was. Crystalline snowflakes hung in the air amidst wreaths and lengths of garland. There was a large ice sculpture of a Christmas tree towards the back, next to the orchestra.

"Alexandria! Severus!" Dumbledore called through the crowd. The pair made their way over. "You look absolutely stunning, my dear!"

"Thank you, Headmaster." She noticed several other important looking people next to him.

"Let me introduce you. Minister, this is Alexandria Price, our Defense professor. Professor, this is Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic."

Allexia extended her hand and shook the minister's own. "Ah yes, the American. How nice to meet you at last, Professor. Dumbledore's told me good things about you."

"Thank you, Minister." She bit her tongue to keep from telling him just what she thought of the way he ran things. He returned to his friends, not even acknowledging Severus. How rude, she thought. They left her father, who went off in search of Minerva, and found a table in an out of the way corner. Severus was quite content to pass the whole of the evening there, but Allexia decided to mingle.

She moved through the crowd, observing all the different witches and wizards that attended the ball. She greeted the ones she knew and was introduced to a few she didn't. Several wizards had asked her to dance and she obliged, though she wasn't that great at waltzing. Allexia danced with Hagrid and Flitwick and wasn't sure which of the two was more difficult. As she made her rounds, she constantly had the feeling of being watched. During her dance with her father, she looked over in the direction of the table and noticed Severus staring at her. He's been keeping tabs on me, she thought. Why?

As she made her way back to her date, Allexia couldn't help but notice how out of place she felt. These people were rich and important members of the Ministry, save Arthur and Molly Weasley, and they carried themselves with a certain air of significance. She watched her father move effortlessly around the room, speaking to everyone in their path and charming them with his trademark twinkle. This is the world he's accustomed to and Allexia wanted very much to be a part of it, but she was knew she was on the outside looking in.

Allexia found Severus still in the corner where she left him. "Enjoying yourself?" she asked.

He looked at her incredulously. "Oh yes, I am having a splendid time."

She smiled. "Watch the dress! I don't want to get any of your dripping sarcasm on it." He said nothing, choosing only to sneer at her. Allexia glanced out on the dance floor and saw Minerva and her father. They remained a respectable distance apart, so as not to rouse suspicions, but the way they stared into each other's eyes proved their affection. She grinned as they spun around the floor. Why can't I find happiness like that?

Severus noticed Allexia staring wistfully at the dancing couples and felt momentarily guilty that he hadn't asked her to dance yet. He absolutely abhorred dancing, but felt obligated to ask since she was his, what did she call it, date. He stood up and cleared his throat. A new song had just started, not a waltz, but slow and lyrical. "Would you care to dance?" he asked.

She turned to him, surprised that he'd moved from his spot. "Yes," she managed to whisper. Her throat had suddenly gone dry. Severus took her hand, like any other gentleman, and led her to the dance floor. They received countless stares from the other dancers, but Allexia became oblivious to them. All she could concentrate on was the feel and smell of him. She had his scent memorized from their numerous research sessions and it seemed stronger tonight. Then again, she'd never been this close to him for any length of time before.

She moved her head slightly and looked into his eyes. She was only about two inches shorter than he was. "Sorry, I'm not a very good slow dancer. I don't do it that often."

"I usually avoid it when I can." Being able to study her face this close up, allowed Severus to realize just how lovely she looked tonight. Trying to keep such thoughts at bay was growing increasingly difficult. He was also worried about the Dark Lord's plan. Dumbledore said he would post more aurors and Order members in the forest, but that wouldn't guarantee anything.

The dance floor was becoming crowded and a man bumped into Allexia's back causing her to stumble forward. Severus steadied her, but now they were pressed against each other. He could feel her warm breath on his cheek as he inhaled the scent of her hair. It smelled like lavender and jasmine. He was becoming intoxicated and was very close to taking the Dark Lord's advice of bedding her. It was the awkwardness of the morning after and her father being his employer that stopped him.

Allexia wasn't fairing that much better. Her head was spinning just knowing that if she moved her head slightly to the left that her lips would brush his. Not here, her mind screamed. At this point if he were to ask, she'd gladly hop into bed with him. Allexia wasn't sure if that was her heart or her hormones talking. Thankfully for them both, the song ended and he escorted her off the floor, back towards their table.

"I'm gonna go get something to drink. Do you want one?" she asked, breathlessly.

He nodded and watched her walk away from him toward the refreshments. Severus nearly made it back to the table, when he spotted the wife of one of his fellow Death Eaters, who was coming over to meet him. "Eleyna," he said in greeting.

"Hello, Severus. You look very handsome this evening." She reached out a hand to feel the velvet of his robes.

Severus wanted nothing more than to get away from her, but he had to play the part of a faithful follower. "You're too kind, Eleyna. Tell me, where is your husband? Don't tell me he would leave such a beautiful woman by herself at a ball."

She smiled sickeningly. "Oh, he had to leave early. He had a very important matter to attend to." Severus knew she meant Death Eater business. He was probably waiting in the forest at that very moment.

Allexia fought her way back to Severus with a drink in each hand, clearly agitated. She had passed several women who were discussing her appearance and her manners. They didn't have many kind things to say and always referred to her as the "American." Allexia wished she could punch each of them in the face. She took a deep breath and saw that Severus wasn't at the table, so she went in search of him. She found him a few feet away with his back towards her, talking to some woman. As she edged closer to them, she caught part of their conversation.

Eleyna spoke again. "I must say, Severus, your partner is quite fetching. How much did she cost you?" Allexia stopped dead in her tracks, eager to hear Severus' response.

"She is a colleague, Eleyna. Seeing as how it was a requirement to bring a partner, I naturally wanted the best-looking witch amongst the staff to be on my arm. Besides, if I had paid for her, don't you think she would have much better taste in clothes and wouldn't leave me alone at a party." He hated saying the words, but it couldn't be helped. Allexia felt tears stinging her eyes.

Eleyna let out a shrill laugh. "Oh, you're a horrid man!" she teased.

Severus managed to get away from Eleyna and returned the their table. He noticed the drinks sitting on it, but there was no sign of Allexia. He looked around and spotted her just as she was retreating out the door. Her body language told him that something was wrong and he had a terrible feeling that she may have overheard his comment. He immediately made to follow her.


	17. Close Friends

A/N: Well, here it is. My favorite chapter and the climax to my story. Hope you'll like it as much as I do. Please leave a review!

"Today you told me that I'd hate you forever,  
I can't believe what's really going on.  
Somehow I knew that you felt guilty for something  
but tell me why you do this to me.  
Today you told me that I'd hate you forever  
I can't believe that you'd wreck my life.

I was betrayed, how can you say that you feel sorry inside.  
It's devastating, losing close friends."

- _Close Friends,_ Adema

Chapter 17

The crisp winter air shocked Allexia as she stepped out of the warm cocoon of the enchanted tent. The tears that had begun to softly fall on her cheeks only made the cold that much more intense. She turned to the right and followed the path into a darkened area. Allexia mentally berated herself for getting so emotional over a man. A man that had not indicated even the slightest that he was interested in her aside from the occasional stolen glance.

She sat down hard on a small stone bench. _Stupid girl!_ _He's a cold-hearted bastard, plain and simple._ _No one, not even you, is going to change that._ Still his words hurt. She was ashamed to say that all their words hurt. Allexia wished she had her mother's strength when it came to ignoring what others thought of you. She thought she had it, but obviously not. Her head fell into her hands and she let the tears come.

"Whoever he is, love, he's not worth it," came a familiar voice.

Allexia looked up and saw Liz standing before her. She was dressed to the nines. "Liz?" she asked, unsure if she was imagining her best friend.

"In the flesh, Lexy. I came early to surprise you." Liz sat down on the bench and put an arm around her. "Now, you listen to me, love, no man, I repeat, no man is worth crying over."

Allexia let out a much-needed laugh. "Thanks, Liz. You always know how to cheer a girl up."

"Now you've gone and ruined your make-up. Here let me fix it." Liz took out her wand and waved it in front of her face. "There, beautiful. I must say that you look absolutely gorgeous in that dress."

"Thanks. I feel much better now that you're here." Allexia hugged her friend in appreciation, trying to put all thoughts of Severus Snape out of her mind.

"Do you want to go back in?"

Allexia looked at the ground and then back down the path toward the tent's entrance. "Not really."

"Well, that settles it. Fuck the lot of them, I say. We'll make our own party." Liz opened her handbag and pulled out a small bottle of alcohol. She tapped her wand against it and it grew to a much larger size. Liz turned the cap and took a swig before handing it to Allexia.

"Mmmm, rum. That'll warm you all over."

Liz stood up and pulled Allexia with her. "Come on, I know just the place where we can party in peace." She took Allexia by the hand and led her down the path passed the tent.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see," said Liz with a smile.

* * *

Severus didn't know which way she went after leaving the tent. He went to the left, but came to a dead end and there was no sign of Allexia. He made his way back down the opposite way and his excellent sense of smell picked up on her perfume. He picked up the scent of alcohol as well.

Off in the distance he heard a high-pitched giggle followed by the unmistakable sound of Allexia's throaty laugh. He ventured further into the darkness and saw two women walking along the edge of the lake. _Where the hell are they going?_ As soon as the thought entered his brain, Severus looked beyond their current location to where they were headed. The Forbidden Forest. His insides ran cold as he realized there were now two witches in danger, instead of one. He debated going back inside to find the headmaster, but he didn't want to lose sight of them. Without any more hesitation he followed the sounds of their laughter.

"Why are we going into the forest?"

"Because there is this really pretty spot that my friends and I used to sneak off to in the middle of the night. I think you'll like it. Of course, that's if I remember where the bloody spot is!"

As Liz took her deeper and deeper into the forest, Allexia began to have the strangest feeling that they shouldn't be there. Something was itching at the back of her mind. Allexia cast another warming spell to distract her from it. They came to a small clearing and stopped. The snow was minimal in this part of the forest. Allexia was just about to ask if this was the spot, when four figures came out of the trees in front of them, wearing black robes and silver masks. Death eaters, she knew instantly.

"Stay behind me, Liz," she mumbled as her wand came out and she moved to put herself between her friend and the death eaters. All at once she was hit with Expelliarmus, Stupefy, and Crucio. Her wand went flying into the bushes on her right and she collapsed in pain, her vision blurring. She dug her fingers into the soft, cold earth and gritted her teeth. It was hard to breath. Every time she inhaled, pain shot through her entire body. Allexia remained on the ground for several minutes, moving past the pain and looking for a way out. She hoped Liz was still alive. Slowly, she sat up on her hands and knees, ignoring the numbing cold soaking through her dress. She squinted in the direction of the death eaters and saw Liz standing amidst them, her wand pointed straight at her.

Confusion reigned as her mind struggled to process the images her eyes were sending to her brain. She must be under Imperius, thought Allexia. She tried to stand, but was hit with another stunner, knocking her into the brush.

"Stop it!" Liz cried.

_That's it, Liz, fight it!_ The death eater who threw the spell lowered his wand reluctantly. The blonde witch spoke again. "She will need to be conscious when she's brought before our master." _Wait a minute, what the hell's going on? _"Get up, Lexy, the Dark Lord does not like to be kept waiting."

Nothing was more sobering than the sting of betrayal. Allexia's mind was racing. There were reasons why she didn't trust anyone, but she had trusted Liz. This woman was definitely not her friend. Whatever the reasoning, Allexia didn't have time to think about her defection. She felt something thin and long under her hand. It was too smooth to be a twig or branch. _My wand!_

"I said get up, Alexandria. I'm sorry it had to come to this, but there wasn't any other way."

_Don't talk to me about being sorry!_ Allexia grabbed her wand and concealed it in her sleeve. She got up slowly, calculating her next move. The death eater's hexes left her feeling weak and sore, not to mention what the alcohol was doing to her, but she was damned if she was going to let them take her alive. Standing at her full height, Allexia stared at her former friend. Betrayal, sadness, and anger passed over her light blue eyes in the span of seconds.

"Why?" she whispered. "How could you do this?"

"We all have our secrets, love, and this has been mine since we met. You know for a while there, I was going to ask you to join us, but when you told me you were Dumbledore's daughter, I knew you could never be one of us. My place of honor among the Dark Lord's followers was assured when I told him about you and where to find you. He's very interested in meeting you."

Snape had followed the two witches at a distance. He had just lost sight of them when he heard shouts of spells and then Allexia's howl of anguish. Snape rushed through the trees and saw the other witch point her wand at the crouched figure. Yet another piece of vital information he had not been important enough to be trusted with. He had never seen Liz at any meetings and no one mentioned her to him at all. Snape felt an overwhelming need to rush in and help the headmaster's daughter, but he could do nothing without exposing himself as a traitor. So he simply watched and listened.

"You told him?" Allexia was beside herself with rage, the customary knife twisting in her back. She was blinded by fury, her adrenalin spiking in the process. Silently praying to the gods to give her enough strength to do this, she made a decision.

With a quick glance at the other death eaters, she bent quickly, plunging her wand into the dirt. She shouted with as much feeling and power as she could, "Evoco Terrigina!" She then dissolved from sight and dashed into the dark forest.

Before they could react, the earth in front of them exploded upwards causing a shower of dirt and grass. A low, rumbling roar emitted from the ground as the earth began to tremble and split open in three places. The dirt, mud, and clay seemed to move by itself and formed into large bodies. Their forms solidified and the death eaters stood facing three, seven-foot men made out of the very earth. With fists the size of boulders, they descended upon them, a thunderous roar escaping their mouths. Snape watched transfixed at the sight of the creatures attacking the death eaters sending them running for cover. _Golems! That daft witch summoned golems! _He heard something rush past his hiding spot, Allexia no doubt, but stayed firmly in place. He'd never actually seen a golem and was morbidly curious as to what they were capable of.

Allexia ran as fast as she could through the forest, hearing the frightened death eaters throw curses at the golems. It sounded like they were only succeeding in pissing them off. She kept running until her legs couldn't hold her anymore. Glancing behind to make sure she wasn't pursued, she became visible. Using her particular gift drained mental and magical energy, which is why she would only use it in emergencies. That's nothing to how much energy it took to summon the golems. It was a rash and stupid decision to attempt both. Allexia slumped against a tree and shivered, her robe now wet and cold. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears and her head throbbed in time with it. She was fighting to stay conscious, but her body was buckling under the stress. The dark forest was becoming blurred and dissolved into a black haze.

Snape had already seen two death eaters fall victim to the golems. One was tossed around like a rag doll and the other was buried alive. None of the curses seemed to be working. Liz was the only one to cause any damage, sending a jet of water toward a golem. It began to turn to mud, melting back down into the ground. The other two creatures seemed to be losing momentum.

"We need to find her!" shouted a death eater.

"No! Who knows how many more of these things she can conjure up. Let's go!" screamed Liz, clearly agitated. The three apparated, leaving two confused looking golems, who promptly melded back into the earth from whence they came. Snape set off in Allexia's direction. He found her a few minutes later, freezing, barely breathing and nearly as pale as himself. He removed his cloak and wrapped it around her body.

"Professor Price?" No response. "Allexia! Allexia, answer me!" She had stopped breathing. Snape took out his wand and pointed it at her chest, "Respiro." Allexia took in one gulp of air and she began to breathe again, albeit very shallow. She hadn't regained consciousness. He needed to get her back to the castle fast. Without ceremony, he scooped her off the ground and hurriedly carried her tall frame back to Hogwarts, ignoring the strain on his muscles.

* * *

_"This is the life, isn't Lexy? Sipping margaritas on the beach. No traffic, no smog, no work, and no men! Just good friends, good booze, and Cancun." _

_"I agree, Liz, but I don't know about no men!" said Allexia as she ogled some Adonis of a man as he walked by. The petite blonde noticed him too. "I saw him first," Allexia added._

_"Sharing is caring, love. I'm sure he wouldn't mind the both of us."_

_"I don't do tag-teams. I'm way too possessive in bed to tolerate another female or male for that matter." Allexia looked out over the water, breathing in the tropical breezes. It was beautiful. She blinked and the scene changed. It was no longer bright and sunny, but dull and gray. It was cold and dreary, with storm clouds hanging over the choppy water. She turned to look at Liz, but she was gone. Suddenly, Allexia was standing in the middle of a circle, surrounded by people in black robes. The one in front of her pulled back their hood, removed a silver mask, and stepped forward._

_Liz stared back, her face gaunt and eyes full of malevolence. "Isn't this the life?" she asked. "We all have our secrets, love."_

_Another stepped forward, revealing her father, his blue eyes cold and lifeless. "This has been mine since we met," he said. In turn each death eater stepped forward, pressing in on her as she frantically looked around for an escape._

_Minerva. "You know for a while there, I was going to ask you to join us."_

_Adam. "But when you told me you were Dumbledore's daughter, I knew you could never be one of us_."

_Tonks. "You could never be one of us."_

_Molly. "You could be one of us."_

_The last death eater approached her slowly, peeling back its hood and removing the mask. She gasped at the sight underneath. A skeletal man with red eyes and a thin line for a mouth calculated her for a moment before speaking in a raspy voice._

_"You are one of us." The others began speaking again, repeating their lines, but Allexia could only stare at this unknown man. "You are one of us," he repeated slowly. She managed to break from his gaze and looked out beyond the circle. Another robed figure approached. They removed the hood and a woman with almond eyes and black hair watched Allexia with interest._

_"Mom!" Allexia shouted. She tried to run but the others held her back._

_"Allexia!" she heard her mother cry, "Allexia!" Thunder clapped overhead and lightning flashed across the darkened sky. It began to rain. She shivered as the cold drops hit her body, which was still clad in a bathing suit. "Mom!" she shouted again._

_Lightning flashed and her mom was gone, replaced by Severus Snape. "Allexia!" he yelled, but she could still hear her mother's voice. A flash came again and her mother was back. "Allexia!" Another still. _

_"Allexia, wake up!" came the deep baritone of Snape. "Bloody hell, woman, wake up!"_

"Allexia!"

She opened her eyes and sat up, shivering and panting. She latched onto the closest thing to steady herself. That happened to be the potions master. He had been trying to rouse her for the last five minutes, since she started muttering and thrashing about. Her color still hadn't returned and despite the warming spell he'd cast, she still felt cold. "Professor, calm yourself." When she realized she was gripping Snape's shoulders she let go, the room spinning as she positioned herself on the couch. She watched the fire dance, waiting for the dizziness to dispel.

Snape handed her a goblet. "Drink this, it will help the nausea and disorientation." Allexia drank it all in one gulp, some spilling down her chin. She wiped it on her sleeve. "Your American manners continue to astound me," he drawled, returning the goblet to the table.

His words from earlier made their way into her thoughts. "Fuck off, Snape," she mumbled. Allexia felt completely devoid of energy. Her head and muscles ached, protesting every time she moved. She knew there was no way she was going to make it to her own quarters, at least under her own power. She was mildly surprised that she was in Snape's personal rooms as opposed to the hospital wing. Allexia shivered and pulled her robes in tighter. She noticed that she had an extra cloak that smelled of sandalwood and musk, Snape's usual smell. He must have given me his cloak, she thought. She wanted nothing more than to go to sleep, but dreaded the dreams that would consume her. As she watched the flames lick at the wood, the hurt of Liz's duplicity pierced her heart like a dagger. The one person she had learned to trust and whom she loved like a sister turned on her. She blamed herself for not seeing it sooner.

Snape stood to the side, watching her become hypnotized by the flames. It was unnerving to see her like this. She always had an arrogance about her, but now she looked defeated. Her eyes held none of the Dumbledore twinkle. This was not the witch who had infuriated him by merely being in the same room, who always had some biting retort to his comments, and who was not intimidated by him. She looked vulnerable, for lack of a better comparison and he found it unnatural and disturbing.

He returned to her side with a small vile of liquid. She looked at the contents and held out a shaking hand. Before he would tell her what it was, she drank it all, the action of bringing it to her lips and swallowing, obviously difficult for her.

"That was…"

"Dreamless sleep potion," she finished for him. Not able to stay upright any longer, she sank down on the sofa and closed her eyes. She inhaled the scent of his cloak deeply, an odor she found oddly comforting, and dove into the abyss of slumber.

A/N: I know golem may bring to mind LOTR, but that's Gollum! Golems are actually from Jewish mythology. A golem was a man made out of clay, who understood human language and obeyed verbal commands, but didn't speak himself. I tweaked the legend a bit to get my golems.


	18. 45

A/N: Sorry, it has been a while, but RL got in the way and I needed to work through some stuff. I'm much better now and finally finished this latest chapter. Thanks to everyone who's been reading!

"Everyone's pointing their fingers,  
always condemning me.  
Nobody knows what I believe.

And I'm staring down the barrel of a .45  
swimming through the ashes of another life.  
No real reason to accept the way, things have changed.  
Staring down the barrel of a .45"

- _.45,_ Shinedown

Chapter 18

"I am sorry, my lord, but we were unsuccessful," said the petite witch with short blonde hair. She stood before Voldemort with several other death eaters. They had braced themselves for the dark wizard's wrath, but he simply sat in his chair, absently stroking Nagini's wide head.

"I see." He said nothing more for several minutes, appearing deep in thought. Finally, he raised his head and looked at Liz. "Did she ingest the potion I gave you?"

"Yes, my lord," she answered.

Voldemort tilted his head slightly and placed a bony finger to his temple. "Ah, yes. She's dreaming at this very moment. For being the offspring of one of the greatest Legilimens in the world, she has no defenses. This may prove easier than I had previously thought." He rubbed his temple and smiled devilishly. "When I'm through with her mind, she'll wish she hadn't put up such a fight."

"Are we still going forward with your other plan, my lord? Has the Daily Prophet been contacted yet?" asked one of the other death eaters.

Voldemort stared incredulously at the man for asking such questions. "That is not your concern! Death eaters more competent than you will be handling that. This will be a blow to both Dumbledore and his daughter."

* * *

Allexia awoke groggy and with a splitting headache. At some point during the night, her fever had broken and she had thrown off Severus' cloak. She was sticky and sweaty. Allexia sat up and immediately closed her eyes as dizziness came over her. It was fairly early and she saw no sign of Severus. She really needed to go to the bathroom. Grabbing the arm of the sofa for support, she slowly stood up, her legs shaking under her. She managed to use the furniture to hold herself up, but fell to the ground when she ran out of chairs. Dizzy and weak, she landed hard on her backside. Her hands went to her head and she moaned softly.

She felt strong arms lift her up and she grabbed on for leverage. Allexia looked up slowly and met Severus' eyes. She thought for a moment that she saw concern in them, but they quickly went back to their normal indifference. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"I need to find a bathroom," she answered.

Severus nodded once and helped her into his bathroom. "I do hope you can manage from here."

Allexia smiled weakly. "I think so. Thank you…for everything."

An hour later, Allexia had enough strength to make it to her room. Instead of crawling through the hallways, Severus insisted she use his fireplace. The trip through the floo only worsened her vertigo and she threw up as soon as she reached her rooms. Collapsing into the nearest chair, Allexia couldn't shake the image of Liz standing united with the other death eaters. It brought bitter tears to her eyes. Liz knew more about her than anyone, a potentially dangerous fact, and Allexia didn't like feeling vulnerable.

Two weeks had passed since the Ministry ball and Allexia tried her best to act as normal as possible. She didn't want to worry her father, but he knew something was wrong. There isn't much you can hide from Albus Dumbledore. Each day passed similar to the one before and Allexia threw herself into the routine. But this morning, the second Allexia walked into the Great Hall for breakfast, she knew something was different. As she passed the house tables, all eyes seemed to focus on her. She heard them whispering to each other, but didn't know why. _Did I forget to wear pants or what?_ She glanced over at the Slytherin table for some reason and noticed that Malfoy and his friends had their glasses raised to her. _What?_ Allexia shook her head and approached the staff table. Her father was not present. She found it very peculiar that he would miss breakfast.

She looked down the table to greet her fellow professors and saw that they too were regarding her unusually. They looked as if they had never seen her before in their lives. She looked them all harshly in the eye, except for Snape who didn't look up from his coffee, challenging them to say whatever was on their minds. No one said a word.

She sat down next to Minerva, who was too preoccupied with her meal to acknowledge her. This was all getting old, fast. "Minerva, what is going on?" she asked, loudly enough that those nearest her at the table also heard.

The deputy headmistress looked up and held an expression of apprehension on her face. She motioned toward the copy of the Daily Prophet that sat in front of Allexia. Without waiting for further explanation, Allexia untied the string and unfolded the paper, acutely aware of being watched by students and teachers alike. The front-page headline read, "Hogwart's DADA Professor Exposed." Allexia forced herself to stay calm. She started to read the article.

_'Many were stunned at the appointment of an American to the ranks of Hogwart's staff, but now the reasoning behind said appointment is abundantly clear. Professor Alexandria Price is none other than Headmaster Albus Dumbledore's illegitimate daughter. After such a revelation, is this woman even qualified to teach our children? Or is simply being daddy's little girl credential enough? The Daily Prophet began receiving anonymous tips regarding Prof. Price and upon investigation of those leads, we have uncovered the ugly truth.'_

Stunned beyond belief, Allexia skimmed further down. It was all there in print. Her work as a bounty hunter, her association with organized crime, and her other less-than-honorable activities. They had statements from a so-called friend who couldn't keep this a secret any longer. Allexia knew without a doubt that it was Liz. Allexia's name had been dragged through the mud and then stepped on. She was labeled as a drunken slut who slept with any man that came along. The auror that she met at the Three Broomsticks had happily given an interview on that subject. They said that her violent temper and lifestyle was potentially dangerous to the children. All of this made Allexia's blood boil and she was tempted to burn the paper on the spot, but she noted there was more.

What upset her the most was the mention of her mother. They painted her as a witch who set out to seduce her father, who being the great hero he is, couldn't have possibly have entered into an inappropriate relationship of his own free will. Apparently her mother attempted to ensnare him into a marriage after getting pregnant. Her mother was a fortune hunter, her father the sad victim, and Allexia was the result of her mother's bad blood, not worthy of the name Dumbledore. _How dare they say such hateful things about a dead woman? _

Allexia had had enough. Her breakfast remained untouched and she was in no mood to eat. Now she understood why her father was absent from the table. She noticed her hands were gripping the pages of the newspaper and shaking uncontrollably. Her breathing was heavy. _10, 9, 8…_She raised her head and noticed all the students staring at her. She unintentionally glared at them and many went back to their breakfasts. Allexia turned to see the pity in Minerva's eyes and the shock in all the others. Her blue eyes met Snape's dark ones. His expression was unreadable. Unable to take it anymore, Allexia stood still clutching the paper. She walked passed her colleagues towards the nearest exit, which happened to be the teacher's side door. Still reeling with anger and pain, she caused the door to fly open without touching it. She strode through without looking back and the door shut itself with a loud bang.

She turned to the left and just started walking. Everything was upside down. Her life was supposed to get better, instead it had only gotten worse. Her best friend was a traitor, her dark past was now available for all to see and she was in love with a man who couldn't care less if she lived or died. Allexia stopped and sank to her knees. It was all crashing down on her and she needed to channel her rage before she exploded. Determined, Allexia got back up and marched angrily to her rooms. Let someone more qualified handle her classes. She didn't give a rat's ass at this point.

* * *

"In light of today's Daily Prophet, I have decided to cancel classes today and call this emergency staff meeting. Firstly, has anyone seen Professor Price?" said Dumbledore.

Madame Hooch spoke up. "Not since this morning. I knocked on her door, but got no answer."

He nodded. "Thank you for coming. I know that you have many questions regarding the article. I will start by saying that yes, Professor Price is my daughter." Dumbledore went on to explain what really happened between Allexia's mother and himself, trying to clear up Mia's name, at least in their eyes. Minerva eyed the headmaster with concern. He looked tired and weary, more so than usual.

"What of the other information, Headmaster? Is she a criminal?" asked Flitwick. The other professors looked at Dumbledore expectedly for the answer.

He took a deep breath before speaking. "Allexia, that is her real name, has done many things that could be considered criminal, but she is not an evil person. She simply got caught up in a lifestyle that she thought would bring her happiness and wealth. You've all gotten to know her. You know the real Allexia; the one who laughs with you over a drink in the staff room, the one who cares about her students, the one you all call friend. Don't judge her for her past. She is a changed woman."

Albus looked over his staff as they thought about his little speech. He caught eyes with Snape, who didn't look that convinced. The potions master looked away after a few seconds. The teachers spoke amongst themselves. Sybill Trelawney's voice broke through. "I foresaw this turn of events months ago, you know. I knew that something wasn't right with our Defense teacher and I knew she was harboring secrets."

Minerva rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you did, Sybill, but everyone of us harbors secrets, so that's not a very impressive revelation." Before the Divination professor could retort, Minerva spoke again. "We'll need to be prepared for the responses we are going to get from the parents and most likely from the school governors."

The rest of the staff murmured their agreement.

* * *

Allexia opened the locked box and pulled out something she hadn't seen in a while. She used to call it her "baby". She pulled the gun out of the case and held it in her right hand. The firearm fit perfectly. The 45-calibur Glock 21 was just what she needed to take out her pent-up aggression. Trading her robes for her leather duster, Allexia grabbed the gun, some ammo and headed out the door.

Twenty minutes later, she had a target set up in front of the lake. She walked about twenty feet across from it and took aim. The resulting bang and reverberation up her arm as she squeezed the trigger, made her feel a little better, but not much. She got off three more shots in quick succession and smiled. Sometimes it worried her how much enjoyment she got out of shooting. Allexia pulled the trigger again. Her euphoria was dying down as quickly as it had set in and she still felt all the anger and bitterness of earlier.

* * *

"I will prepare some kind of statement and issue it to the Daily Prophet. As for the governors…what was that noise?" Dumbledore stopped mid-sentence as a succession of bangs drifted in from outside. He went to the window and looked down. He was not pleased with what he saw. "If you will excuse me for a moment." They watched him leave the room in a hurry.

They heard another bang after he left. "That sounds like a gun," commented Hagrid. Concerned for the headmaster's well being, many of the staff exited the room to follow him, including Minerva and Snape. Once outside, the group halted when they saw it was Allexia that had been shooting.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Albus, his question filled with anger.

She turned around slowly, knowing that he wasn't happy. Allexia stiffened when she saw the staff behind him. "I was just letting off some steam. I didn't mean to disturb you." Her voice bordered between defiance and defeat.

"You will remove that hateful contraption from this school at once! You have put the children in danger just by having it here."

Allexia looked into his heated blue eyes and felt like a child. "It's not as if I take it to class with me! I keep it locked away at all times."

Albus wasn't hearing any of her excuses and the teachers watched with their mouths agape. "I demand that you give it to me, Allexia. For your own good, as well as the students."

"You don't trust me with it! That's it, isn't it?" Allexia knew she spouting nonsense, but with everything that's happened, her mind wasn't in the best of states.

Her father looked hurt. "I do trust you, but I will not allow guns at Hogwarts and I will not make an exception for anyone. I understand that you are upset over what was in the paper, but this isn't helping matters. Now, give it to me!"

Allexia wordlessly handed the gun to her father and watched as he set in on a nearby rock. Taking out his wand, he muttered a few words and the gun melted into an unrecognizable heap. Another spell later, it had disappeared. She slumped her shoulders, defeated. "I had to pay a lot of money for that, you know."

"You told me that you wanted to start over and move past the life you led. That gun should have been left in America. You told me that was not who you were anymore."

She looked at her father and, for a moment, felt guilty for disappointing him again. "I don't know anything anymore." Allexia turned on her heels and walked toward the greenhouses without another word. She just needed to get away.


	19. Death Whispered a Lullaby

A/N: I'm so sorry that it's been so long since I last updated, but real life has been hectic. I haven't abandoned this, I swear! If you're still interested in this story, I thank you. Thanks for sticking around.

April : -)

"Sleep my child...

Speak to me now and the world will crumble.  
Open a door and the moon will fall.  
All your life, all your memories.  
Go to your dreams, forget it all.

Sleep my child..."

- _Death Whispered a Lullaby,_ Opeth

Chapter 19

Allexia had never given much credence to dreams and nightmares. She often scoffed at how other people would dissect and analyze their dreams to find so-called hidden meanings. She thought they were just the products of an overactive imagination. Her dreams of late, however, had her reexamining her beliefs. For the past week, Allexia had been having strange, vivid dreams. Some she would even go so far as to label nightmares. Some dreams were actually quite peaceful. Scenes filled with tranquility and relaxation, but in every dream, good or bad, there was always something in the background. Something she felt was not supposed to be there. In the nightmares, Allexia could hear a faint high-pitched laugh off in the distant and occasionally she caught a glimpse of red eyes watching from the shadows.

She had stopped teaching classes since her past was plastered all over the front page of Daily Prophet. The Board of Governors suspended her until further notice. They were going to evaluate her to make sure that she was fit to teach. In the meantime, someone from the Ministry was filling in for her. Allexia only ate dinner in the Great Hall. She hardly spoke to anyone except for Minerva and her father, though their relationship seemed strained once again. In her voluntary confinement she continued to research the ritual and consulted with Severus through the floo. She didn't want to be alone with him and he didn't press it. Allexia actually thought they were making progress. Severus had managed to dig up some historical documents on the discovery of the ritual and how it was performed. Unfortunately, it was all in ancient Akkadian and the muggle historian who was in possession of them only provided photographs. Still, it was something. Allexia had spent a fair amount of time transcribing what she could see of the text and then casting translation charms on the pages. It half worked. The major break in their research was that they now knew how the power was transferred: a potion. This made Severus' stomach clench, as he had little doubt that he would be called upon to prepare it. The one surprising factor in the ritual was the incorporation of music. Before the twins were to be sacrificed, a blessing needed to be placed upon them by singing the Song of the Mastabba Galgal. Her father had always told her that music possessed its own secret brand of magic, capable of sending its listener to another state of mind or changing their mood, among other things.

A log popped in the fireplace, startling Allexia out of her momentary lapse in concentration. She looked at the grandfather clock and decided it was time for bed. Leaving all the papers where they were, she padded into her bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. Within ten minutes, she was asleep and in another world.

_She was falling. Allexia could see nothing, but from the way the wind whipped about her hair, she knew she was falling. What will happen when I hit the ground? Will I ever? She seemed to fall forever, when suddenly she blinked and was seated at a large dining table. It was still dark, but there were candles lining the surface and a fire burning brightly on the other side of the room. _

_"Welcome, Miss Dumbledore," said a raspy voice that made her skin crawl. It seemed to come from all sides. Allexia looked down the table and noticed a man sitting at the other end. Candlelight reflected off of red eyes. The same eyes she had seen in her other dreams. Her heart began to beat twice as fast. "You seem uncomfortable. Perhaps you should have some wine." A glass appeared before her, filled with dark wine the color of blood._

_"What do you want with me?"_

_He laughed. "Why does everyone presume that I want something? Isn't it quite obvious why I am so interested in you? You, the daughter of my rival, but more like me than him."_

_Allexia tried to get out of her chair, but she was frozen in place. "I am nothing like you!"_

_That high-pitched laugh came again. "I have looked into your memories, Allexia Dumbledore, I know what you are capable of." He walked down the length of the table to her, his red eyes holding her at bay. "I know how much you like it. I have felt your rush of excitement as you bully and torture men into giving up their secrets. I feel the same way, only I use magical means."_

_Allexia forced herself to look away from him. This is just a dream, she told herself. Wake up! But she knew that this was much more than the average dream. Her father was a powerful Occlumens and Voldemort was just as powerful. She tried to put up walls and barriers, but Voldemort was too strong. _

_"It's useless to fight me, Allexia. We will speak again soon."_

She woke up abruptly and peered around her darkened bedroom as if expecting to find him there. Ebony jumped up onto the bed and mewed. Allexia's breathing slowed as she stroked her cat's sleek fur. She didn't sleep any more that night.

* * *

"Professor Price, do you know why you have been called before the Board of Governors?"

Allexia stiffened and faced the twelve men in front of her with as calm an exterior as she could muster. Underneath her heart was pounding under their scrutiny. "Yes. You are concerned about my ability to teach the children of this school." Not only was she forced to endure the judgment of the Board, but also the hearing was open to the public and the room that was being used was packed with a curious crowd. Her father and Minerva were present, of course, as well as most of the teaching staff. Some of the Order members were there as well. Allexia was well aware of Severus' presence and she did her best to avoid his gaze.

The short, fat wizard who acted as the Board's foreman spoke again. "That is correct, Professor. Before we begin, do you swear to answer each of our questions truthfully and thoroughly?"

"I do, sir."

"Then let us begin. Are you currently working or have you ever worked as a muggle bounty hunter?"

Allexia took in a deep breath. _They just get right into it, don't they?_ "I have worked as a bounty hunter for the past thirteen years. I have not been active in that profession while I've been a professor here." She watched as they all scribbled notes on the bits of parchment in front of them.

One of the other governors asked a question. "Do you consider bounty hunting to be a noble profession, then?"

"I regard any profession that brings criminals to justice as a noble one."

"Yet you act outside the law. Doesn't that make you just as criminal?" That question came from a middle-aged wizard with a curly handlebar mustache.

"I do what is necessary to bring in those the law has deemed unfit to roam free. If what is necessary means acting outside the law, then yes I have done so on many occasions. I believe the ends justify the means." Allexia could feel her anger rising slowly and she fought to get her emotions under control. She didn't need to lose it in front of all these people. More scribbling followed her answer. The questions kept coming, ranging from her time as a bounty hunter to her later more criminal activities. On and on it went for nearly two hours. She answered as best she could, but she felt that with each honest answer she was damning herself more and more. At the end of the hearing, the foreman told her that she may make a closing statement before they went into deliberation. She thought carefully about what she should say. "I know that I have made many mistakes in my life, some more grave than others. I know that not all of you approve of the way I have lived, but I am trying to put my past behind me and make a fresh start in life. True, I am not sorry for some of things that I've done, but I have made a conscious effort to move forward. With the help of my father and my new job as a professor, I am becoming a better person. I admit that it hasn't happened overnight, but these things never do. I really enjoy teaching these kids and I think I've done a pretty good job with them thus far. The majority of the students in my classes are passing with high marks. Please, sirs, I am asking you to look beyond my past and look to what I've accomplished these last few months and what I will continue to accomplish. Thank you."

"We will reconvene here in one hour." The foreman banged his little gavel on the table and the twelve men left the room.

Allexia let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding and sat down wearily, her body exhausted from the interrogation. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into her father's sapphire eyes. She smiled weakly.

"You did very well, my dear. Don't worry, I'm sure they will see that you are an asset to this school."

"Thanks, Dad."

Professors Sprout and Flitwick approached somewhat cautiously. Sprout was the first to speak. "I would just like to apologize for misjudging you and believing everything they printed about you."

"Me, too," chimed in Flitwick. "We are behind you one hundred percent."

"Thank you for the support. I'm sorry for the way I acted. I let my emotions get the better of me sometimes."

Dumbledore cleared his throat slightly. "Why don't we go to my office for some tea and sandwiches? I don't know about you, but I am quite hungry."

Severus watched her from his chair in the far corner of the office, sipping his tea slowly and methodically. The others swarmed about her like vultures, offering their support and, he thought, pity. He could tell that she wasn't really listening to them. She still wasn't talking to him, unless it had something to do with their research. Severus wasn't sure why he didn't like it. They had gone from hating each other to a sort of tolerated friendship. He wanted to explain to her that what he said at that ball was just part of his act, but that would expose his secret and for some reason he didn't want her to know yet. Severus knew he'd hurt her and that simple fact had penetrated his thick armor, making him feel remorseful. He understood her plight, perhaps better than anyone else in this room. She wanted to forget her past and redeem herself. He had been there himself long ago. He noticed that her eyes were slightly bloodshot and there were faint circles under them. She hasn't been sleeping, he thought to himself.

His solitude was interrupted by Dumbledore. The elder wizard sat next to him, smoothing out his long white beard. "I believe that I am correct in assuming that something happened to Allexia the night of the Ministry Ball. She hasn't been herself since and I noticed that she hasn't been on friendly terms with you."

Severus paused, unsure of how much Dumbledore already knew. "We had a misunderstanding." He wondered why Allexia hadn't told her father about the death eater attack, even more, he wondered why he didn't say anything. Normally, as the ever-vigilant spy, he would tell Dumbledore everything, but this was different somehow and he couldn't place his finger on it. "I won't go into any more detail as it really isn't any of your business."

"It involves my daughter, of course it's my business," said the old wizard.

"Then I suggest you ask her and leave me be." The headmaster was about to retort when the clocked chimed loudly, signaling that they should return to hear the governor's verdict.

Once back inside the room, Allexia's heart raced. She didn't realize how much this job had come to mean to her until the threat of it being taken from her came into play. She stood straight and showed no emotion as the foreman announced their decision.

"After much deliberation, we have come to the decision that Professor Price has indeed made a valiant effort to change her lifestyle and is therefore allowed to teach for the remainder of the school year. We will review her progress at the end of term and decide whether or not she can come back the following year. On behalf of the Hogwart's governors, I declare this hearing officially closed." After three swift taps of his gavel, the governors left without another word and the room erupted in cheers. Apparently, she had many supporters in attendance. Her father and Minerva were the first to congratulate her. She felt relieved and happy, but she still couldn't shake the images of Liz pointing her wand at her face and the cold red eyes of Voldemort.

Later that evening, Allexia was dragged by the staff to the Three Broomsticks. Rosmerta was so happy that she was allowed to stay, she gave everyone a round of drinks on the house. Allexia didn't drink nearly as much as she usually did, mainly because she didn't want to be sleepy. She was afraid of what might happen to her after she fell into slumber. When she returned to her rooms, Allexia dug out the last of her Dreamless Sleep potion and downed the whole bottle. She stayed awake as long as she could, but eventually her eyes closed around three in the morning.

_"Lexy, you need to stir clockwise, not counter clockwise and with nice, even strokes."_

_"Yes, Mom." Twelve-year-old Allexia stood before a bubbling cauldron, helping her mother with a potion. Mia stood by watching her daughter's every move, her jet-black hair, sprinkled with gray, tied back into a ponytail._

_"You know, with a little more practice, sweetling, you'd make a fine potions mistress someday."_

_Allexia shook her head. "Nah, I want to be an auror and fight bad guys!"_

_"Didn't exactly turn out that way did it, my dear?" Allexia turned around, startled by the new voice. She was full-grown and inside the room where the hearing took place. She was also face to face with Voldemort. "Your Dreamless Sleep potion wasn't strong enough."_

_"Leave me alone!" Allexia ran for the door, but Voldemort was standing before her in an instant. She tried again to put up barriers, but still to no avail._

_"Your mother was a rather pretty woman, I see why Dumbledore decided to bed her. Such a pity she was murdered by an uncivilized muggle." Voldemort's voice was grating, like nails on a chalkboard._

_"Leave my mother out of this, you bastard! You are just as uncivilized as he," she spat._

_"See for yourself."_

Allexia awoke the next morning, soaked in her own tears. She had witnessed her mother's murder, as if she was right there. She saw every terrified look, heard every painful sound and when the gunshots echoed through the alley, Allexia wanted nothing more than to rip the man who pulled the trigger limb from limb. Why had Voldemort shown her that? Was he trying to torture her into submission? She could still see the images fresh in her mind, so vivid that she ran for the bathroom and vomited. This has to stop, she thought. Something needed to be done.

Severus had just sat down with his coffee when someone knocked on his door. He glanced at the time. It wasn't even seven o'clock yet. The knock came again and he begrudgingly went to answer it. "What in Merlin's name do you want this early in the morning?" he shouted before the door was even opened fully.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I need to talk to you." Allexia stood in his doorway, pale and clearly agitated. She looked like hell.

"Can this not wait until I have had at least one cup of coffee?"

"Please, Severus, I don't know where else to go," she said desperately. The potions master motioned for her to come in and closed the door behind her. His curiosity was piqued as they sat down in his study. Her hands were shaking and she stared at the floor. Severus didn't like the way she was acting. This wasn't the same impertinent woman that got on his nerves for all those months. This wasn't the same woman he had come to respect. "I need your help," she said.

"I thought you weren't speaking to me."

Allexia eyed him with contempt. "Damnit, Severus, let's just pretend it never happened! I'm past it now." That was a lie, but she hoped he wouldn't see through it. "I need you to teach me Occlumency."

Severus was surprised to say the least. "Me? You mean to tell me that your oh-so-powerful father never taught you himself?"

"He tried long ago, but I never got the hang of it."

"Why do you think you can learn now?" asked Severus, downing the rest of his black coffee.

She ran a nervous hand through her unbrushed hair. "Because if I don't he'll never leave me alone. He's in my dreams and he knows my memories. I don't know how much longer I can resist him."

Severus looked at her curiously, his brow furled in thought. "Who?" he asked.

"Voldemort."


	20. Music of the Night

A/N: I know it has been a long time since I've updated this fic (a really long time) and I want to thank anyone who still is interested in it. I will be honest and say that I have no idea how often I can update. I do intend to finish all my incomplete stories by the end of the year, so I have a deadline for myself. My muse seems to come and go lately, so keep your fingers crossed that she'll stay for good. Hope you guys enjoy. Thanks for reading.

- April :-)

* * *

"Softly, deftly, music shall caress you.  
Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you.  
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind  
in this darkness which I know you cannot fight,  
the darkness of the music of the night.

-

Let the dream begin,  
let your darker side give in  
to the power of the music that I write,  
the power of the music of the night."

- _Music of the Night, _Phantom of the Opera

Chapter 20

Snape unconsciously let his empty coffee cup fall to the floor. He didn't bother to clean it up, but instead leaned closer to Allexia. "The Dark Lord? He's been coming into your dreams? For how long?"

"It started right after the Ministry ball. It's been happening almost every night now. I've tried Dreamless Sleep potion, but he's too strong. Listen, Severus, I know I'm asking a lot, but I don't know what else to do." Her voice trembled as she spoke.

Snape stared at the broken cup on the ground. "He's never entered anyone's dreams before aside from Potter's. What does the Dark Lord do in your dreams?"

"He tries to get me to join him. He says that I'm more like him than my own father." Her voice faltered and she started crying. "I've seen my mother being murdered over and over again. I've pleaded with him to stop, but he just laughs. His red eyes see right through me, he knows everything about me and he's using that against me. I can't take it anymore, Severus."

Snape reached into his robes and pulled out a handkerchief. He offered it to her and sat back on the sofa. "He is a powerful Legilimens, but he isn't strong enough to just invade anyone's dreams. There is a magical connection between the Dark Lord and Potter, forged all those years ago when he tried to kill him and made stronger when he used Potter's own blood to come back."

She shivered involuntarily. "You mean something has made it possible for him to come into my dreams?"

Snape ran a hand through his hair, deep in thought. "When you were in the Forbidden Forest, were you hit by an unusual spell? Did you eat or drink anything?"

Allexia shut her eyes trying to block out the painful memories of that night. "I don't think so. How much did you see in the forest?"

"I came upon you just after you summoned the golems. An impressive feat, I might add, but foolish. It nearly killed you." He was lying of course, but he didn't want her to ask him why he hadn't jumped in and helped her. "How about before you entered the forest?"

Her head snapped up and realization spread across her face. "The rum! Liz took out a bottle of rum from her purse and we drank quite a lot before reaching the forest. Damn her!"

Snape stood up and left the room, leaving Allexia seething with anger. She wished she had ignored her father's letter and stayed in LA. He returned with a syringe and small glass vial. "Did the other woman drink any of it?"

She thought back to that night. She remembered her taking a few small sips, but after that she only held onto the bottle and passed it back to Allexia when she wanted more. "Not very much," she said solemnly.

"Roll up your sleeve and hold out your arm. I need a sample of your blood," demanded Snape. "If the alcohol was laced with a potion, I might be able to find a way to counteract the effects."

She nodded tiredly and pulled up her shirt sleeve. "Why didn't you tell my father about what happened in the forest?" Allexia asked. She winced slightly when Snape inserted the needle.

He looked at her suspiciously. "Why didn't you?" he countered. Snape removed the needle and put a stopper on the vial of blood. "I don't think teaching you occulmency will help anything, but I will make you a stronger Dreamless Sleep potion and I'll analyze your blood."

Tears shone in her eyes. "Thank you, Severus." Without thinking, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. For the first time in a while, she smiled. "I'll leave you alone now."

She left and Snape stood in his study with his eyes closed and breathing deeply. He didn't like this at all. The Dark Lord was not one to give up easily and if he wanted Allexia, then he would be relentless in his pursuit. But on the other hand, they could use this to their advantage. They needed to know more about the ritual, if they were to have any hope of stopping it. Severus had been questioning his usefulness as a spy of late and here was an opportunity to gain the information they needed. But would Albus, and more importantly, Allexia, go for it?

* * *

Allexia sat on a rock near the lake's edge, watching the ripples the Giant Squid was making in the water, when she heard someone approach from behind. In an instant, she was off the rock with her wand pointed at the startled face of Harry Potter. She lowered it immediately. "Harry, I'm so sorry," she stammered.

"That's okay, Professor. Can I talk to you?"

She motioned for him to sit next to her on the rock. "Of course, you can. What's up?"

He stared out over the lake, his young face riddled with worry. "I've been thinking about your Defense classes and I think that we need to be doing more than reading out of a textbook. With Voldemort out there, we need to be sure that we are able to do all that stuff we're read about when the time comes."

She hoped he hadn't seen her shudder at the mention of his name, cursing herself for blanching at something as trivial as a word. "I know my lessons haven't been as good lately. I haven't really been myself."

"You know none of us care about that rubbish in the paper. Well, most of us anyway. Last year I had my name dragged through the mud in the Daily Prophet."

Allexia smiled a little. "Thanks, Harry. It means a lot to know that there are those who still respect me as a teacher, but that's not the only thing troubling me. I've been having lots of bad dreams."

Harry looked uneasy, like he was remembering something not so pleasant. "I know all about bad dreams too. Voldemort's usually in them, torturing some poor soul or preaching to his Death Eaters. Though lately, I've seen something else."

Allexia was surprised that he was opening up to her like that. She was also grateful that he understood her plight. "Does he talk to you in your dreams?"

"Not really. I just sort of see things that are happening around or because of him. Like, I've been seeing this strange symbol lately."

"What did you say?" Allexia sat straight up and stared at him wide-eyed. "What did it look like?"

Harry stared at her like she was going crazy. "It sort of looked like two uppercase letter y's standing next to each other, but with a line along their tops."

Allexia felt something in her gut. That was the symbol carved into Margaret Jacobson's palms. "Harry, could you draw it for me?" She pulled put a piece of parchment and, seeing that she had no writing instrument, transfigured a twig into a pencil. Harry did as she asked, still not quite sure why she was so interested.

"Do you know what that symbol is, Professor?" he asked.

"Yes, I do, but please don't ask me to explain it. Now, Harry, when you saw this, was it on something or someone?"

The young wizard thought on it a bit. "I remember seeing a room with a cage in it and that symbol was painted on the wall. At least, I think it was paint. It may have been blood, now that I think about it. There was a small table with some candles and a strange looking knife under it. The handle looked like a bone."

Allexia smiled for the first time in weeks. "Harry, you have been extremely helpful. Next class, we'll try dueling again, okay?"

"Um, your welcome, Professor," said Harry, still a bit confused.

* * *

"Severus, what you are proposing is absolutely out of the question!"

Snape was not entirely surprised by Albus' reaction to his suggestion of Allexia going undercover. "I know you do not want your daughter in the hands of the enemy, but think of what we could gain. He no longer trusts me; of that much I am certain. If she were to go to him, willingly, he would let her into his inner circle. She has power and he wants it, and her, at his side." He didn't mention Allexia's dreams or that night of the ball, choosing instead to say that he overheard the Dark Lord talking about her at a meeting.

"I'm still not convinced. The fact that he seems to be interested in her is why we should keep her as far away from him as possible." Albus looked at Snape over his half-moon glasses. His brow indicated that the discussion was over.

Severus muttered something barely audible and left the room. He should have spoken to Allexia first. Perhaps together, they could convince Albus. When he reached his office, he found Allexia seated at his desk surrounded by books. She was so engrossed in her reading that she failed to hear him come in. Snape cleared his throat.

She looked up in surprise. "There you are! I've been waiting for you. Come here, look at this." He joined her behind the desk, glancing at the small drawing she was holding. "I just had a little chat with Harry Potter. He told me that he'd been experiencing some vivid dreams about the Dark Lord. He's been seeing this symbol a lot. In one instance, he saw it painted in blood on a wall."

Snape took the parchment from her and inspected it closely. "That is the symbol that was cut into Mrs. Jacobson's palms."

"It's the Babylonian symbol for the number two. Two as in Gemini - twins. I don't know why I didn't see it before!" she said. "I was looking through this book on Babylonian history and there it was."

Snape looked deep in thought. "Potter was sure that it was blood?"

Allexia nodded. Snape suddenly was rummaging through his desk, searching for something. He finally emerged with the papers that Francis had given them. "Here it is: 'They shall be bound, in kindred blood, from full moon to full moon. For not a day sooner, may the ritual begin.' The Dark Lord has to be using the dagger and the symbol to bind them."

Allexia stared wide-eyed at Snape. "He's using their mother's blood to paint the symbol on the wall."

He shook his head. "It's been too long since her death. The magical potency of the blood fades in time; he would have acted right after kidnapping them. It says kindred blood, which could mean anyone related to the boys."

"Like Liz. She's their aunt and I know she'd gladly offer her blood for the Dark Lord to use." As she spoke, the words left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Snape decided that this was as good a time as any to propose his plan to her. "Allexia, I have an idea that would enable us to get more information on the Dark Lord and this ritual. In your dreams, you said that he wants you to join him. What if you agreed?"

"What!?"

He held up his hands. "Let me finish. Make the Dark Lord think you want to join him. Think about it, you could get close to the boys, maybe even rescue them if you're clever enough." He was manipulating the situation, appealing to her impulsiveness, but they were at a crossroads and running out of time.

"You can't be serious, Severus. He'd see right through me. Hell, he already does."

"If Potter's dreams are of what is occurring right now, then the preparation for the ritual has begun. The boys need to be bound from full moon to full moon and the next full moon is only two weeks away. Allexia, you are a strong witch, you can handle this."

Allexia smirked. "Strong? Have you seen me lately? I'm afraid to sleep. I get nervous walking into a dark room, afraid that he'll jump out of the shadows at me. I'm sorry, Severus, but I can't do it. I might have been able to do it before coming here, but not now."

He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "Oh, spare me! Put your feelings aside and think of those twin boys. Think of all the people that might be spared by stopping the Dark Lord from completing this ritual. You're already letting him win by being afraid. Take charge and do something about it!" He knew he was being harsh, but he was growing quite tired of the little mouse she had become. He saw a tear run down her face, but pressed on. "I know you can do this, Allexia."

Allexia listened to Snape's words with shame. She had been reduced to a mere shadow of her former self. His words stung, but they were also true. The fact that he believed in her, made her feel a little better. The feelings for him that she had tried hard to stifle were starting to resurface and she kicked herself for her weakness.

Snape took in a deep breath. "You won't be alone, you know." She looked at him curiously. "I will also be there." He pulled up his sleeve and showed her his Dark Mark. "At least, when I am called."

Allexia wasn't sure if she was seeing things right. "You're a death eater!"

"Former death eater. I've been a spy for your father since before Potter's parents were killed. I am no longer a part of the Dark Lord's inner circle. He no longer trusts me."

Allexia stared at the tattoo on Snape's forearm. "That's why you always seem to know so much about him and his activities. If I were to agree to this, what does my father think?"

"I approached him, but he refused to even consider it."

"So, you came to me instead." Allexia rubbed her temples and stared around at the piles of books and papers that littered Snape's desk. If she could pull herself together, perhaps they could put a stop to this and save two innocent little boys in the process. In all of her times of indecision, she always thought about her mother and what she would do. Her mother was fearless and determined. She would do whatever it took to bring those boys back home safely. "Okay, I'll do it. But I'll need your help."


	21. Giving In

A/N: Holy crap, a new chapter! I'm as surprised as you are! Lexy came to me in a dream and threatened to kick my ass if I didn't finish her story. :-)

Chapter 21 - Giving In

Allexia stared at the ceiling wondering why she had agreed to Snape's plan. _Because you_ _love him, that's why._ The clock struck midnight, causing her to jump slightly. She was trying to avoid going to sleep, even though she should in order to get the ball rolling on his plan. Snape did show her some blocking techniques earlier, but she had little success with them. In the end, it left both of them frustrated.

The clock chimed again, signaling a half-hour had passed. Allexia felt her eyes growing heavier and at last she could no longer hold out. Sleep pulled her under and she fell into a dream.

It was a familiar scene – sickeningly familiar. The darkened alleyway. The bang of a gun. Her mother's scream. And him – red eyes always watching. Her surroundings shifted and they were standing in front of an opulent marble fireplace. She felt the heat of the flames and looked down, noticing the blood red gown he'd dressed her in.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

If it was anyone else she would say yes. "Not really," she replied.

"I have a present for you, Miss Dumbledore."

Allexia folded her arms. "I told you I don't like the dress."

Voldemort laughed, chilling her to the core. "No, no, something much more meaningful. Let me show you. Turn around."

She turned and looked but saw nothing at first. Then she looked upwards and saw a large man suspended by his feet from the ceiling. He looked familiar.

"Recognize him?" Voldemort hissed in her ear.

Allexia stepped closer and looked harder. Some firelight hit his face and her breath caught. It was the face of the man who'd murdered her mother. Voldemort moved close enough that she could feel his breath on her neck. "If you join me, I will let you have him. After seeing what happened to your poor mother, I know you're just dying to get your hands on him. Would you like me to show you again in case you've forgotten?"

"No!" she cried, as all of her feelings of hate, anger, and vengeance came bubbling to the surface. She remembered the conversation she'd had with Minerva and forced those feelings aside. "I'd put him back in prison, where he belongs." It didn't sound convincing though, even to herself.

Voldemort laughed again. "Would you now? Do you want to know what Jimmy boy here has been doing since he escaped?"

The scene shimmered and there he was robbing a liquor store, where he'd shot the clerk. It shifted again and he was forcing himself upon a poor young girl behind a barn. "Stop it!" Allexia shouted. Breathing heavily, she tried in vain to keep her anger under control.

Voldemort was now circling her like a hawk, waiting to dive in for the kill. "I know you're trying to convince yourself that you would do the right thing and turn him in, but we both know that you wouldn't do that." He made a small gesture with his hand and the man was lowered towards the ground.

He was gagged, but Allexia could see the fear in his eyes. Good, she thought, knowing she should be ashamed of such thoughts. Voldemort moved in front of her, blocking the dangling man from her vision. She was forced to look into his red eyes. "Come now, Miss Dumbledore, let's not waste anymore time. I can't keep him nicely gift-wrapped for long. Bellatrix would love to use him as a plaything."

She thought about Snape's plan and there wasn't anything else she could do but agree. "Very well. But I'm only going for him. I won't become one of your death eaters."

Voldemort smiled, showing sharp teeth. "All I want is for you to come to me of your own free will. Go into the Forbidden Forest tomorrow at midnight and someone will bring you to me." He reached out and brought her hand to his lipless mouth. The action repulsed her. "Until tomorrow."

Allexia woke up with a cold chill. Her heart was thumping a mile a minute. What bothered her most about the dream was knowing how easily she might have given in to Voldemort even without Snape's plan. "I'm sorry, Minerva, but my mother will be avenged."

* * *

Most of Allexia's day was spent tapping her fingers nervously and avoiding the all-knowing gaze of her father. Since he already shot down the plan once, they decided not to bring it up again until she was in the hornet's nest, as she liked to say.

"Stop fidgeting, woman!" Snape whispered to her at dinnertime.

"Sorry, I can't help it. Gods, I need a drink right about now," she snapped back at him.

With an exasperated sigh, Snape inconspicuously tapped her goblet with his wand. Allexia arched her eyebrow at him questioningly. He nodded once and Allexia brought the goblet to her lips. Though slightly disappointed that it was only beer and not the firewhiskey she was hoping for, she downed the whole thing.

"Thanks. Though, I was thinking something stronger."

"You need your head clear tonight," was all he said.

As Allexia watched the students leaving the Great Hall, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Will you join me for tea, Professor Price?"

She could tell from her father's expression that more would be in store for her besides tea. With a last glance at Snape, she got up from the high table and followed the old wizard out. Things between them weren't back to how they were at the beginning of the school year and unfortunately what she was about to embark on tonight wasn't going to help matters.

"Are you feeling okay, my dear?" Albus asked as he handed her a cup of steaming tea. He looked over his half-moon glasses at her in that way that he did when he already knew the answer. She hated it as a child.

Allexia tried not to shake her cup too much, but being alone with her father was making her even more uneasy. It would only take a few more meaningful glances and well-trained questions and she would spill the whole plan to him. She knew for a fact that it would take little effort on his part to keep her in the castle. "Really, Dad, I'm fine. You worry too much, you know." She tried to sound as jovial as possible.

"I'm sorry that things have been strained between us since…" he let the sentence die, not wanting to mention the events of the last few weeks. "I thought that you needed space." He reached out and took Allexia's hand. "Regardless of everything that has come to pass, Allexia, I'm proud of you."

Almost without thinking, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. She fought the urge to tell him everything and throw out the plan, but the thought of the twins and of what Voldemort might do if she went back on her word, kept her silent.

Albus embraced her back, knowing something wasn't right with his daughter. He wasn't going to press the matter. "Thank you," he heard her whisper. The clock chimed nine times and Allexia released him.

"I should go, I'm rather tired actually."

Albus scrutinized her one last time. "Very well, off to bed with you."

She lingered at the door. As they stood together at the threshold, she embraced him once more. "Please remember that I love you. No matter what."

Before he could reply, she was gone.

* * * *

_  
Tick._

"How should I act? Should I act like I'm interested in what I see there?" Allexia asked Snape nervously.

_Tock._

The potions master didn't even look up from the papers he was marking. "Don't seem overly interested. He thinks he's got a good hold on you already, so just act like you have been in your dreams. The Dark Lord will see right through you if you suddenly start acting like a death eater."

_Tick._

Allexia shifted noisily in her chair before getting up and walking around his office. She tried to take her mind off her uneasiness by trying to figure out exactly what Snape kept in all these bottles and flasks. _Ugh, is that a brain?_ She shivered involuntarily.

_Tock._

She glanced at the clock. Still another hour to go. "You have the portkey ready, right?" He looked at her in such a way that she knew the answer already. "Of course you do. Sorry, just checking over everything in my head."

"Well, stop," Snape admonished. "It's getting on my nerves. What are you so worried about? You've been in the midst of danger before."

She wrapped her arms around herself suddenly cold. "It's not so much the danger to me that I'm worried about. I'm afraid of getting in over my head. Seeing my mom's killer in that dream-state was enough to push me over the edge. I honestly believe that even if we didn't have this plan, if Voldemort had still offered me that bastard, I would have gone to him willingly. That's what has me on pins and needles. Voldemort knows me too well."

"Just remain focused on gathering information about the ritual and don't get too distracted. I honestly could care less about what you do to your mother's killer. Frankly, if I were you, I would kill him – slowly." Snape stopped marking to glance up at her. She stared at him incredulously. "Just don't get so caught up that you forget what you're really there for."

The remainder of the hour went by rather quickly, neither of them talking much. Before she set out for the Forbidden Forest, she cast a long look at the castle and Snape. "Well, uh, wish me luck," she said rather lamely, not really knowing what to say.

"Just remember your strengths and show him none of your weaknesses. The Dark Lord will exploit them. If a meeting is called, I may see you soon."

Allexia stared into his fathomless eyes and fought off the urge to latch onto him. Not trusting her voice, she simply nodded and set out into the night. She invoked her invisibility, just in case her father was watching the grounds and went willingly into unknown and dangerous territory.

After about twenty minutes, she reached the boundary of Hogwart's wards in the forest and a cloaked figure stepped out from behind a tree. In the limited moonlight, Allexia could barely make out the shape of her former friend's face. "Liz," she said tersely.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist him, love," she gloated. Allexia felt her insides twisting with anger, but took a deep breath to calm herself down.

Liz grabbed her arm and they apparated out of the forest.

Seconds later, Allexia found herself in the same dining room as her dreams. There were at least six other Death Eaters there and they all turned to look at her when she arrived. From behind her, she heard a chillingly familiar voice. "Welcome, Miss Dumbledore. I am so glad you've come."

She turned slowly and there he was in the flesh and even more terrifying than in her nightmares. Another figure hunkered behind him, a lump of a man. Snape had told her he was called Wormtail and had betrayed Harry's parents. One of the death eaters approached her, a woman with wild black hair. Grabbing her chin, she forced her head this way and that. "She doesn't look as powerful as I thought she would," she hissed.

On instinct Allexia knocked her hand away and grabbed her by the throat. "Neither do you." Every wand in the room was pointed at her and she marveled at the fact that she wasn't a smoldering pile of ash yet. Allexia let her go.

"Enough!" shouted Voldemort. "Bella, behave yourself."

The death eater looked hurt that she was the one reprimanded, but backed off, shooting Allexia the evil eye. "My apologies, Miss Dumbledore. Would you care for a drink?" He waved his hand and a bottle of wine and several goblets appeared on the table.

"I'm not thirsty," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "I want to see him."

"Oh, you will. I have some things to discuss first." He gestured toward a chair and it pulled itself out. "Sit." It was not an invitation, it was a command.

Begrudgingly she sat down, eyeing the surrounding death eaters with trepidation. "Leave us!" said Voldemort, as if he knew what she was feeling. His masked followers exited the room slowly, Bellatrix being the last to leave. Voldemort poured her a glass of wine and offered it to her. Allexia took it and put it to her lips. She needed something to calm her nerves.

"What did you want to discuss?" she asked.

"Does your father know of your connection to Nikolas Treskov? Does he know all the dirty deeds you've done for him?"

"How do you know about Nikolas?" Allexia demanded.

Voldemort sipped his own glass of wine. "I have my sources, including Nikolas himself. Do you know he is a squib? His family is loyal to my cause, of course."

Allexia felt like such a fool. She had no idea that Nikolas was a squib. "What did he tell you?"

"All that you had done for him: kidnapping, extortion, arson, theft, and my personal favorite, torture. He said that you seemed to be especially good at torturing people for information. What does your father say to all that?"

She broke away from his gaze and looked at the wall. "He doesn't know," she answered with a sigh.

"And what do you think he will say? That he's proud of you? That he understands your violent tendencies? No!" He slammed his hand on the table to emphasize. "I, on the other hand, commend you for your talents. At my side, you will be free to do what you do best. Don't you miss the feeling of tracking down your prey? The satisfaction of making a man spill his most precious secrets? It gives you power and it intoxicates you, doesn't it?"

Allexia felt as if her mind was in a fog. She was so confused that she dropped her wine and the glass shattered on the floor. The sound jolted her awake. She shook her head. "No, no, you're wrong," she whispered.

"We shall see," he said. "Come, I will take you to see our special guest."

* * *

The room was dark aside from the few candles lining the wall, but she could see his eyes. Allexia knew those eyes well. She knew how they glinted with pleasure as he committed crime after crime. His eyes had seen the life leave her mother. His eyes held fear now and Allexia fought to control the rage boiling beneath her chest. She was aware of Voldemort's eyes on her, but she only stared at the man tied to the chair. Somehow her hand had pulled her wand out of her sleeve and she pointed it, shaking, at him.

"That's it, my dear," hissed Voldemort in her ear, "Let the rage take over. Let it flow through your wand. You've felt the effects of the Cruciatus firsthand. Imagine what your hate and anger could do to him through that curse."

Allexia was fighting an internal battle. For a brief moment, she imagined those little angel and devil figures on her shoulders, each telling her what she should do. She remembered what her father had said regarding her need for revenge, 'After you have delivered upon him your final judgment, will your situation be improved at all?'

"Your mother would still be here if not for this man," Voldemort continued to goad. "You know he enjoyed killing her. You know she wasn't the only one."

"I am not like you," Allexia said through gritted teeth. She tried to hold on to both her father and Minerva's words from the day, but she could feel her resolve slipping.

"Do it, Allexia, or I will remind you how the curse feels. I would rather see him in agony than you. Exact justice tonight!"

Allexia watched as the sweat poured off of his face and he looked up at her. She tried to imagine her father and what he would think of her right at this moment. She knew what he would want her to do. Her breathing became labored. _I can't do this._ _Yes you can. He's a murderer. Don't be like him. _ There were too many voices in her head. Her wand lowered a bit and she looked at the floor. She could feel Voldemort's breath by her ear.

"Please, don't do this," the man whispered.

Her head snapped back up to stare him in the face. The memory of him holding her mother at gunpoint flashed across her mind's eye. _'Please, don't do this.' _Her mother had said that very thing to him and then he shot her point-blank.

"Crucio!"


	22. Hurt

Chapter 22 - Hurt

The force of the curse hit him with such ferocity that he was lifted up into the air, his body bending and twisting in ways Allexia didn't think was possible. His screams filled the night and in the darkest reaches of her mind, she enjoyed hearing his suffer.

"That's it," encouraged Voldemort, "Let him feel your hate. Remember what he's done."

The man fell onto the floor, sobbing, as Voldemort forced her to see his crimes in her mind. "Crucio!" she said again. This time it knocked him against the back wall. Her father had always said that love was powerful magic, but it's polar opposite, hate, could be just as strong. It consumed her. "Why did you kill her?" she screamed at him, tears running down her cheeks. She dropped her wand and kicked him hard. "Why!"

"I…I don't know."

Allexia crouched down and backhanded him across the face so hard she thought she might have broken her hand. "My mother was the world to me and you took her from me!" She hit him again. "She never saw me graduate!" Her fist met his nose, breaking it. Blood was gushing down his chin. "She will never dance at my wedding!" Another blow broke his jaw. She suddenly remembered the poor girl he raped after he escaped from prison. Allexia kicked him in the groin for that. Losing steam, she struggled for breath. "I'll never hear her voice or feel her arms around me." She sank to the floor, her head in her bloodied hands. The man was unconscious, his face hardly recognizable. Staring at his body, the adrenaline from the hate started to wear off. She felt sick to her stomach.

Voldemort waved his wand and the man was magically pinned to the wall. The man regained consciousness and was wild with terror. Voldemort forced Allexia up by her robes. "Look at him! You've beaten him rather well, but if he should end up back in society, he will do those things again. His filthy muggle brain knows no better." He produced a dagger from within his robes. Allexia thought that it looked familiar even though she had never seen it before. It was curved and had a white handle made of bone. "But you can see to it that he doesn't hurt anyone ever again. Your mother's murder needs to be avenged. Let justice be done."

Her hand shaking, Allexia took the dagger. She hesitated and Voldemort forced her to relive the horrible sight of her mother being terrified, beaten and killed. "Justice," the dark lord whispered.

Allexia was shaking all over now, the rage building once again. She grabbed the dagger from him and crossed the room. Staring into the man's eyes she plunged the dagger into his chest and twisted. His body convulsed and then was still. "For my mother," she murmured.

Voldemort removed the dagger from his chest and returned it to his robes. "You have done well, Miss Dumbledore."

She hardly heard him. Allexia was exhausted and in a daze. She went along without a fight as Voldemort guided her through the halls and into a bedroom. "Rest," he told her.

Allexia collapsed on the bed and had her first dreamless sleep in weeks.

***

Snape hadn't slept well that night. He had to admit to himself that he was worried about Allexia. He had spent the night waiting for a summons that never came, until now. The exception being that this was a different wizard doing said summoning. Allexia was not at breakfast this morning, which everyone noticed and commented on.

This was not going to be pleasant.

Snape entered the headmaster's office and found Professor McGonagall there as well. _Just bloody great._

Dumbledore sat behind his desk and did not look happy. "Severus, it appears that my daughter is nowhere on school grounds or in Hogsmeade. Do you have any idea where she might be?"

Snape tried to look indifferent. "I am not her keeper, Headmaster. How should I know?"

"You seem to be the last person to see her. Peeves told me he saw the two of you leaving the dungeons late last night." Dumbledore look at him over his moon-shaped spectacles in such a way that said, 'If you lie to me, I will know.' _Damn that poltergeist!_

"We were discussing the research we've been doing on the ritual. That is what you want us to do, isn't it, Headmaster? We forgot the hour." Snape could tell he wasn't buying it.

Dumbledore slammed his hand on his desk, causing McGonagall to start. "Did you tell her of your plan even after I rejected it?"

There was no way to hide it any longer and Dumbledore knew his own daughter well enough to know that she would have agreed with Snape. "Headmaster, I…" Snape was cut off by Hagrid bursting into the room.

"Headmaster! You need to look outside, right now," he said in a panic.

They all rushed to the window and Snape felt a cold chill go down his spine. In the sky over Hogsmeade was a Dark Mark and the words, 'I have her.'

"Oh, my goodness," muttered Minerva, shocked.

Dumbledore turned to face Snape, no twinkle in his blue eyes. "How could you?"

Snape suddenly found himself flying through the air. He landed painfully against a cupboard, glass vials crashing around him. The glass shards were shaking of their own volition.

"Albus, stop," said Minerva, her voice both soothing and forceful at the same time.

Snape knew that if she hadn't been in the room, he would have been stuck full of glass. He had never seen Dumbledore so angry. Now he understood why he was the only thing the dark lord was afraid of. Minerva put a hand on his arm to calm him. Hagrid looked as if he would burst into tears at any moment. He was muttering, "Poor Lexy," over and over.

Snape's forearm started to burn and he clutched it instinctively. Dumbledore saw what he did and hurried towards him. Gripping Snape by the shoulders, he said, "Bring her back to me! You are the reason she went to him. Bring her back or don't come back at all!"

Snape could only nod and leave quickly. The headmaster ran a hand nervously through his hair. "Minerva, I want every student inside these walls immediately. Hogsmeade is not safe at the moment."

***

Allexia had woken up that morning in a panic, not remembering right away where she was. A woman with blonde hair and icy blue eyes was in the room with her. Allexia thought she looked familiar.

"You're Draco's mother," she said, sitting up. Glancing at her hands, she realized that they weren't swollen or broken and she wasn't covered in dried blood.

"Narcissa Malfoy and you're welcome," the other witch said by way of reply. "The Dark Lord says you are a guest here, until he deems otherwise. He instructed me to inform you of your task."

"What task would that be?" Allexia got out of bed and noted that Narcissa stepped back a little. Allexia looked her over and felt confident that she could take her in a fight, but Narcissa had the advantage of a wand. Remember your true purpose for being here, she thought.

"Our master wishes you to translate the text of the incantation for the ritual. The translation spells we've tried don't work."

"What if I refuse?"

"Then you're friend will die," she said, matter-of-factly.

Allexia was overcome with dread. "My friend?"

Narcissa pointed her wand at the door and it flew open. Bellatrix shoved a man through it and he landed at Allexia's feet with a grunt. His face was slightly obstructed by a hood, so she couldn't tell who it was right away.

"Now, was that absolutely necessary?" came a familiar voice.

"Francis," Allexia whispered.

"Shut up, old man," hissed Bellatrix.

Francis got to his feet and looked at Allexia. She could see in his eyes that he was frightened though he was trying hard not to show it. She tried to convey to him how sorry she was that he got dragged into this. He seemed to understand.

"Whatever they are forcing you to do, don't do it, Lexy! I'm not worth…"

"Crucio!" said Bella, squealing with glee.

Francis was driven to his knees in pain. Allexia couldn't bear to see him hurt. "Stop it! Leave him alone!" she cried.

Bellatrix pointed her wand at Allexia. "Bella," her sister said in warning. "The dark lord said we are not to touch her."

"Oh come on, Cissy." Bellatrix jabbed her wand into Allexia's neck. "It won't be anything permanent."

"Bella!" Narcissa scolded.

Bellatrix smiled and winked at Allexia before forcing Francis back out the door. Without warning, Bella spun around and slapped Allexia across the face. As fast as it happened, she was gone, her maniacal cackle echoing off the walls. Allexia rubbed her stinging cheek.

"Everything is on the desk. Lord Voldemort says you have two days. I suggest you do it in one. He doesn't like to be kept waiting."

That had been several hours ago and she was still sitting at the desk. Allexia picked up the old book in front of her and reread a passage. She had to be sure she had read it right.

'_The Athame of Adrammelech, its handle made from the bones of an ancient priest, must be anointed in blood. In order for the ritual to work, it must be used to kill in the name of vengeance. The emotional state of the killer empowers the dagger with hate and rage and when used in sacrifice, infuses their souls with those feelings appeasing the great god Adrammelech, as he prefers pure souls to be tainted when he receives them. Before sacrifice, the incantation must be sung by the one who anointed the blade, for it will not respond to any other.'_

Allexia couldn't believe her stupidity. The whole time, Voldemort was just using her as part of the ritual. He knew that the dagger needed to be used to kill someone in vengeance. Why else would he hand her a dagger and not her wand. She could hear her father saying he told her so. He said Voldemort would use her past against her and boy did he ever. Suddenly overcome with nausea, she threw up in the wastebasket. In hindsight, she had already come to regret killing that man, but now that she knew it was orchestrated, she felt worse than ever. Why hadn't I seen it?

'You've dug yourself quite a hole,' she could imagine her mother saying. 'Think of the solution, not the problem.'

"I will fix this somehow," vowed Allexia.

A few minutes later, someone knocked on the door. Wormtail poked his head in. "Our master wishes your presence. He has something he would like you to see."

"Oh, goody," muttered Allexia. As she followed him through the halls, she tried to take in her surroundings. They were in a nice mansion of some sort. Various paintings adorned the walls, the inhabitants eyeing her with a mix disinterest and disdain. They were mostly blonde, leading her to guess that this was the Malfoy mansion. They were the only blonde wizards who seemed to all look like they had just smelled something foul.

Wormtail led her into a large room, that may have been a large parlor or receiving room at one time, but most of the furniture had been removed. Voldemort was sitting on what looked like a throne, with his giant snake around the base of it.

"So glad you could join us, Miss Dumbledore." he said. "We have a special guest. I think you know him." Voldemort nodded to someone and Snape was pushed before the throne and brought to his knees.

Allexia was using all her strength not to rush to his side. She knew she probably wouldn't even make it three steps. Snape looked as if he'd been hit a few times, blood was leaking out of his nose.

"Did you know that Severus, here, was a death eater? Though lately, it seems that his heart just isn't in it. I've been hearing nasty rumors about defection and spying for your coward of a father. Definitely not the same young wizard that took such pleasure in killing mudbloods when he first came to me."

"My father is not a coward, you are!" Allexia shouted in spite of everything. "And Sever…"

"Crucio," snapped Voldemort.

Allexia crumbled to the ground, biting her tongue to keep from crying out. She would not give him that satisfaction. She caught Snape's eyes as she slowly got back to her feet. They told her to be quiet and not do something stupid. Doing stupid things seemed to be her specialty lately.

"I'm willing to give you another chance, Severus. Prove to me that you are still a loyal death eater."

"Anything, my lord. What must I do?" asked Snape.

"Kill the boy," he answered.

"What boy, my lord?"

Voldemort tilted his head toward something behind Snape and both he and Allexia looked in that direction. Two death eaters entered with a boy a struggling between them. The boy went white when he saw Voldemort.

"We picked this one up in Hogsmeade. I believe he is one of your _favorite_ students. Isn't that right, Mr.?"

"Longbottom, my lord," cooed Bellatrix. "I remember his parents fondly."

Allexia's mind went into overdrive. How can she help one of them let alone both? And what about poor Francis? _Well, isn't this just one big bowl of suck._

_A/N: As always, thanks for reading.  
_


	23. On the Other Side

Chapter 23 - On the Other Side

Snape had only truly feared for his life a couple of times. One was when his father had been drinking and mistook him for a burglar. Another had been when he went to Dumbledore for help after Lily was killed. This was presently another one of those times. The boy looked absolutely terrified, though he was trying to hide it. Snape knew couldn't kill him. True, he had envisioned any number of unfortunate accidents that he would have loved to see befall Longbottom, but he didn't have the strength to kill him just so he could prove his so called loyalty to Voldemort. So, here it ends, he thought.

He spared a glance at Allexia, her face nearly as pale as his. She was chewing her bottom lip nervously and her eyes darted back and forth. Snape felt a twinge of regret. He had just been coming to terms with the reality that he had grown fond of the headmaster's daughter. He wished that he had kissed her before she set off the night before like he wanted to.

"Give Severus his wand," said Voldemort.

Someone threw it at him and as much as he felt the urge to start throwing hexes everywhere, he knew it would be a futile endeavor. He pointed his wand at Neville and he could see in the boy's eyes that he expected to die by his evil professor's hand. Snape looked toward Allexia, who seemed to have moved closer. He blinked once and suddenly she was gone. _No!_

He felt something being shoved into his hand. It was the pocket watch he had made into a portkey for Allexia. An unseen force pulled Neville towards him and he grabbed the boy. The death eaters hadn't caught on yet. Snape felt something brush against him.

"There's no place like home."

As soon as Allexia muttered the trigger phrase, he felt the pull behind his navel and the Malfoy mansion vanished.

Allexia had nearly forgotten about the portkey in her pocket. It was supposed to get the boys home, but she would have to figure something else out. She knew it would be touchy, but she willed herself invisible and made her way to Snape. It took all her willpower not to grab onto him as they portkeyed away. She still had those little boys and Francis to worry about. Perhaps the trigger phrase for the portkey should have been shorter, but it was the first thing that came out of her mouth when she set it. She knew Severus and Neville would be safe at Hogwarts and she took small comfort from the thought before the world suddenly went black.

* * *

The portkey had set them down in the Forbidden Forest, with poor Neville landing face first in the dirt. Snape hauled him onto his feet and started walking toward Hogwarts. Neville hurried to catch up to him. After several minutes of silence, Neville opened his mouth. "Sir, what is Professor Price doing with You-Know-Who?"

"That's none of your concern!" he snapped.

"But she's not one of them, right?"

"Idiot boy! Don't you think that if she were truly a death eater she would have saved us?"

Neville lowered his head. "No."

Snape didn't want to think about how Voldemort was going to punish Allexia. He knew what he was capable of and it pained him to think of any of it happening to her.

"Do you need to go to Madame Pomfrey?" he asked Neville when they entered the castle.

"No, sir, I'm fine."

Snape had his doubts, but didn't press the matter. "Then we go to the headmaster."

* * *

Albus sat in front of the fireplace in his office staring into the fire. His head ached with worry and he was feeling every bit of his 155 years. Minerva sat next to him trying her best to console him. She had been trying to get him to eat something for the last hour, but he had no appetite at the moment. His only thoughts were of his daughter and how she was at this very moment in the clutches of his enemy.

"Albus, she's a smart woman. I know you are afraid for her, as am I, but perhaps you should trust her. She obviously has some sort of plan and I have faith that she is cunning enough to do the job," Minerva told him, squeezing his hand.

"I do trust her. It's Voldemort and all his followers that I don't trust. She is alone and outnumbered, for Merlin's sake!"

Minerva sighed quietly. No matter what she said, there was no placating him. "She has Severus, however comforting that may be."

"It is his fault that she's there to begin with. He convinced her to do it! I have no doubt that he thought nothing about her safety. He tends to think only of himself." Albus' withered hands pinched the bridge of his nose. He was developing quite a headache. "And to top it all off, Neville Longbottom has gone missing!"

Minerva had been trying not to worry about her missing Gryffindor, but she feared the worst - that the death eaters who had sent up the dark mark had come upon him and taken him back for Voldemort or Bellatrix to play with. She shivered at the thought. "You skipped dinner, Albus, let me have something brought up from the kitchens," she said, trying to change the subject.

Albus was about to answer negatively when there was a knock at the door. "Come in!" he shouted, almost half-heartedly. He had resigned himself to his dismal mood. Albus wasn't quite prepared for the pair that entered his office.

"Thank Merlin, you're safe!" Minerva cried, embracing her wayward cub in a rather uncharacteristic hug. Neville's face turned a lovely shade resembling a tomato.

"No hug for me, McGonagall?" Snape remarked icily.

Minerva was about to make a snide comment in return, but her voice failed her when she saw how bloodied and beaten he was.

Snape turned his attention to the headmaster, bracing himself for anything and everything the old wizard was going to throw at him. "Welcome back, Mr. Longbottom," Albus said, not looking yet at the potions master.

"Uh…thank you, sir."

"Did they hurt you, Neville?" asked Minerva.

He looked briefly to Snape, and then shook his head. "Not really, Professor. I'll be fine."

"You should see Madame Pomfrey, in any case."

Albus finally looked at Snape, taking in his injuries. His nose appeared broken, dried blood caking his nostrils and mouth. He also had a black eye, several cuts, and was favoring his right leg. Albus allowed himself to feel a moment of sympathy for him. "Where is Allexia?"

Snape straightened up to his full height. "She is still with the dark lord."

Albus tried desperately to control his anger this time. "You were supposed to bring her back! I told you not to return without her."

"I know, Headmaster, but there was nothing I could do." Snape's normal venomous tone was fading into defeat. He kept thinking about Allexia and how much pain the Voldemort was most likely inflicting upon her as they spoke.

"Did you even try, Severus?" Albus asked out of anger. "You may as well pack your belongings because as of this moment Hogwarts no longer has a potions master."

"If that is your wish, Headmaster."

"No!" cried Neville. All three adults stared at him in shock. Neville shrank back slightly, but called upon his small bit of Gryffindor courage. "Sir, you can't send Professor Snape away, they'll kill him."

"What are you speaking of, Mr. Longbottom?" asked the headmaster.

"You don't understand! You-Know-Who wanted Professor Snape to kill me in order to prove his loyalty but he couldn't and then somehow Professor Price got a portkey to us and that's how we got out. Your daughter saved us both, Headmaster." Neville suddenly went red in the face again. He had just shouted at one of the most powerful wizards in the world. "You-Know-Who will find and kill Professor Snape for sure if you make him leave the protection of Hogwarts."

Minerva couldn't have been more proud of her student. Never in her life would she have imagined Neville Longbottom defending Severus Snape, but she was happy to see him speaking his mind.

Snape could do nothing but stare at the boy he'd tormented for the last few years. Damn that Gryffindor courage, he thought. He hated to admit it, but his respect for Neville rose just a tiny bit.

Dumbledore didn't know what to think. He was so consumed by his anger at Snape for what he thought was abandoning his daughter that he blinded himself to the truth. He hadn't even asked Snape what had happened. After several silent minutes, during which Neville looked as if he would spontaneously combust at any second, Albus placed a hand on the young man's shoulder. "Mr. Longbottom, I thank you for speaking out against a wrong and for showing me that I've been acting like a fool."

Albus walked over to Snape and took out his wand, waving it over his injuries, healing as best he could to ease the pain. Madame Pomfrey could deal with the rest later. "Severus, for so long I have lectured you on not letting your temper get the best of you and here I am doing just that. I apologize for my hypocrisy. Is what Mr. Longbottom said true? Allexia saved you both? Has she been harmed in any way?"

"Yes, Headmaster. She used the portkey that she was supposed to use to get the twins out. As for being unharmed, she seemed fine the little I saw of her, but I fear that she will no doubt be severely punished for helping us escape. The dark lord does not like having his plans spoiled especially right under his nose."

* * *

Allexia could hear laughing. A dark, yet high-pitched, maniacal laugh that only someone with sociopathic tendencies would emit - someone like Bellatrix Lestrange. Allexia's entire body felt afire with pain. As an afterthought, she realized that she was floating, or rather, hanging from the ceiling. She could barely make out the occupants of the room through her tear filled eyes.

"I hope you realize that the only reason you still breath is because you are still of some use to me," hissed Voldemort from somewhere behind her. "That was quite a magic trick, disappearing without an invisibility cloak. Daddy teach you that one?"

"Well, he is the most powerful wizard alive." THWACK! The sting of a whip across her back made Allexia cry out. Bella was laughing again, cackling like a banshee.

"Allow me to disagree with you," said Voldemort. "Tell me, Miss Dumbledore, how much does Severus Snape mean to you? Surely, you realized that you would be punished for coming to his rescue, yet you still saved him and the boy too. Do you love him, Miss Dumbledore? I had hope that my doubts about Severus were unfounded, but I see now that I was right not to trust him any longer. I think that perhaps you might want to see what he was like when he first came to us. So young and full of rebellion, he was the quintessential death eater. Legilimens!"

As soon as Voldemort cast the spell, Allexia was bombarded with images of a young Severus Snape as a newly minted death eater. She saw everything from his taking of the dark mark to his first muggle torture. She couldn't believe that the man she had fallen in love with could take such pleasure in such cruel acts, but then again she had her own skeletons in the closet. He's changed, she told herself. "Please, stop," she begged.

"Maybe this is more to your liking." Voldemort forced her to witness her mother's murder again and again. Allexia tried with all her might to put up some sort of protection around her mind, like Snape and her father had shown her. Suddenly, the scene in her mind went quiet and black. The surprised look on Voldemort's face told her that she had blocked him out.

"Impressive, Miss Dumbledore, but it won't hold me out for long. Take her down and put her back in her room. I expect a full translation by morning."

She was escorted back to her room by Bellatrix, who pushed her roughly through the door before hitting her with the Cruciatus. Bella grabbed her by the hair yanking her head upward. "If you ever displease the dark lord again, I will personally break every bone in your body. Then I will let you watch as I torture your good for nothing lover, Severus. Nighty-night."

Allexia collapsed upon the floor and tried not to think about the pain her body was in. _Breathe. Just breathe._ So far, the mental barrier she had erected to block out Voldemort was still holding. She crawled over the desk and somehow managed to get herself in the chair but not without crying out in agony. At least Severus and Neville are okay, she thought to herself. Willing herself to concentrate, she began going over the ancient texts.

* * * *

Neville looked around the room of requirement with nervousness. He had never called a meeting before, but he felt that his fellow DA members should know about Professor Price. It was nearly midnight, but he knew everyone would come. He received lots of hugs and handshakes at his safe return. Harry approached him when everyone was assembled.

"We're all glad you're back, Neville. You called this meeting, so the floor is yours, mate."

Taking a gulp, Neville began to recount how he had been on his way back to Hogwarts when he ran into some death eaters and they took him. He told him how scared he was when he was face to face with Voldemort and how for a brief moment he truly thought that Professor Snape was going to kill him. Then he told them about Professor Price and how she saved them both.

"So Snape's a good guy?" blurted out Ron.

"Duh, Ron!" teased his sister.

"The message in the sky along with the dark mark said 'I have her', he must have meant Professor Price. Why else wouldn't she be in class?" observed Hermione.

Several students started speaking their own ideas about their missing professor. Everything from Voldemort taking her as his bride to her playing double agent like Snape had done was circling the room.

"I think we should help her," said Neville, so softly that no one paid him any mind. "I think we should help her!" he said again, this time his voice carrying over the din. Many of his friends looked at him like he was spouting nonsense. Harry looked quizzically at him and then slowly smiled. "So, how do we do it?"

"You can't be serious, Harry?" shouted Seamus. "What are we going to do, walk right up to the door and say, 'Excuse me, but we'd like our teacher back please'."

"What about the Order? Are they going to attempt to rescue her? She is Dumbledore's daughter after all," asked Ginny.

"I don't know. We should try to reach Fred and George, see if the Order has something in mind of their own," offered Harry.

* * * * *

"You've been awfully quiet, Severus," said Lupin, "Don't you have anything to add?"

Snape, still nursing his multitude of injuries, raised his head at the question. "I think that any sort of rescue attempt should be put off until the dark lord is ready to begin the ritual." Everyone voiced their disagreement. "To attack now would be exactly what he expects. The ritual needs to be performed at the next full moon, which is in roughly 11 days. Isn't that right, Remus? By that time, they will have let their guard down and we can attack with the element of surprise. That also gives Professor Price time to get to the boys."

"You want to just leave her there? You, of all of us, know what it's like to be amongst the death eaters! Are you so uncaring, Severus, that you would willingly leave her there?" proclaimed Mrs. Weasley.

"Of course, I care, Molly. I also know Allexia well enough to know that she will use every ounce of cunning and resourcefulness she has to rescue the twins," Severus realized that he had broken his usual sullen character by admitting he cared.

"Know her that well, do we?" replied Molly, her eyes wide.

"Enough, please!" shouted Albus. "As much as I want my daughter back, I agree with Severus." The Order members looked shocked, but knew better than to argue with Albus Dumbledore. "I want Malfoy manor watched, at all hours. If Tom decides to move to a new location, we'll know it. As it stands now, we will attack on the next full moon."


	24. A Tout Le Monde

Well, I don't know if I'm entirely satisfied with this chapter, but I need to finish this story if it kills me. Many thanks to everyone still interested!

Chapter 24 - A Tout Le Monde

_The Song of the Mastaba Galgal, also known as Song of the Gemini, must be sung, not simply recited, by the wielder of the Athame of Adrammelech. The ritual must begin no sooner and no later than when the full moon is at its highest point in the sky, or else the potency of the sacrifice could be lessened. After anointing the twins with oil, the wielder must place their hands on the twins' foreheads and sing the following incantation._

_ "Behold, Adrammelech, powerful and great._

_ Two young souls I offer unto thee._

_ Your dagger – blessed by vengeance and hate,_

_ Bathed in purified blood it shall be."_

_Using the Athame to slit the wrists of the twins, drain the blood into a cauldron. The blood of the one to whom the power will be bestowed must also be added to the cauldron. Continue with the incantation._

Allexia continued working non-stop through the night and had completely translated the ritual by the time she was hauled at Voldemort's feet the next morning. He inspected her work and smiled coldly. "Very good, Miss Dumbledore. Now, we only have to wait until the next full moon. Until then, take her to see her friend in the dungeon."

She was taken down beneath the house and tossed into a dark, dank, cell. The death eater spat on her as he locked the door and left. There was hardly any light down here and she suddenly heard movement from the cell next to her.

"Songbird?" Francis' voice was hoarse and it pained her greatly to hear such defeat in his voice.

"Francis, are you hurt?" she asked, trying not to break into sobs.

"Not that badly. My wounds will heal in time," he said wistfully.

"I'm so sorry, Francis. It's my fault that you're here. I shouldn't have involved you!"

He tried to reach her hand through the bars but came up short. "Do not worry yourself about it. What's done is done." They sat in silence for a few minutes. "I always knew there was something special about you, Songbird. I just never thought you would turn out to be the daughter of the great Albus Dumbledore." He laughed, but ended up coughing painfully.

"Damn right I'm the daughter of Albus Dumbledore! That's why, even if it kills me, I am going to get you and those little boys out of here."

Several nights during the next ten days saw meetings of both the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army. Fred and George kept the Army apprised of the Order's activities and their plan to disrupt Voldemort's ritual. Harry had seen their missing professor in a dream one night. He told them that Voldemort had her locked in a dungeon and that she looked much weaker than the last time he'd seen her. He figured she was only being fed enough food to keep her alive. Tonight would be their last meeting before the rescue attempt.

The students decided that the only way for them to get to Malfoy Manor was to go by Thestral. "Tomorrow night is the full moon. Tomorrow night we attack alongside the Order. We will face countless Death Eaters and probably Voldemort himself. Some of us may not come back. If there are any of you who do not wish to go with us, then don't meet us here tomorrow. You will not be judged. Only go if you truly wish to. Now, let's get some rest."

"To victory!" someone shouted.

"To victory!" everyone repeated.

Harry was the last to leave the Room of Requirement, or so he thought. Ginny waited for him and the two walked hand in hand back to their common room, but not before Harry pulled her into an empty classroom.

"Ginny, I want you stay here tomorrow night," Harry said seriously.

"Like hell I am! I plan on kicking some death eater arse at your side." Harry thought she looked incredibly cute when she was angry. He opened his mouth to say more, but she stopped him. "Nothing you can say will make me change my mind."

He knew he was defeated and so did the only thing he could think of to do whilst standing in a dark, empty classroom – kiss her.

Allexia sat in the early morning hours listening to Francis' wheezing snores. She was thinking about her father. She wished that she could give him a hug and tell him how sorry she was for deceiving him. Allexia was a little hurt that her father hadn't done anything to get her back yet. Maybe he thinks by leaving me alone, I'll be able to save those little boys, she thought.

She had no idea how she was supposed to rescue them, let alone herself and Francis. The only food she's had to eat for the last two weeks has been bread and water. _How can I fight in this condition?_ Suddenly a thought occurred to her – what if Voldemort is planning to place her under the Imperius Curse to make sure she goes through with the ritual.

Some time later, Narcissa came down to collect her. She was told to shower and given a change of clothes. The same bloodred gown from her dream was waiting for her when she got out. A large selection of food was set out for her and Narcissa told her that the Dark Lord wanted her to get her strength up for the ritual. Allexia devoured every morsel and couldn't quite shake the feeling that this just might be her last meal.

Severus tried not to think about the coming attack. He kept himself busy with grading papers and replenishing Poppy's stores of medicinal potions. There will be casualties tonight so the medi-witch needed to be prepared. Inevitably throughout the day, his mind would wander to Allexia. He wondered if she had any idea that they were planning to rescue her and the boys.

The Order had sent in a small group to gauge the defenses of the manor and had minimal success in breaking some of them down without being detected themselves. The Order was counting on the Headmaster to bring down the rest of them. He wondered if tonight would be the battle to end it all, but he could foresee the Dark Lord fleeing if came to it. Soon, it was time to meet the Order at the Three Broomsticks.

The students in Dumbledore's Army made their way cautiously to the stables where the thestrals were housed. Those who were not comfortable with riding a broom were going on thestrals. They looked at the map Hermione had made up of the manor and surrounding grounds. Harry went over the plan again, telling everyone they would be landing a short distance away from the house. Hermione made sure everyone had their enchanted coins. If the coins got hot, that was the signal for retreat.

"Okay, everybody, be prepared to fight with all you've got. The death eaters won't go easy on us because we're students, so we can't be easy on them. We're back-up for the Order, even though I know they are not going to like it. Good luck every one," Harry ended his talk with a nod to Neville. A few minutes later, Dumbledore's Army was in the air.

Allexia sat alone in a room waiting for someone to fetch her. She bounced her left knee nervously, still trying to find a solution to the mess she had gotten herself into. Without a wand, the only thing at her disposal was her invisibility, which would not help the boys since it wasn't something she could extend beyond her own person. She would have the dagger, but she wouldn't get far. One dagger against dozens of wands was not a good idea. Her thoughts were interrupted by Wormtail and several death eaters.

"Time to go, Miss Dumbledore, we mustn't keep the dark lord waiting," simpered Pettigrew.

She was lead outside to the courtyard where two slabs of stone had been erected with a cauldron in between. Death eaters circled the area and Allexia felt all their eyes on her as she was lead to the center where Voldemort stood.

"Come, take your place, Miss Dumbledore." Voldemort indicated the position opposite of him, placing the cauldron between them. He handed her the dagger. "Do not disappoint me and you will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams."

Not knowing what else to do, Allexia began to sing the incantation in a slow rhythm, improvising the melody. _What the hell am I supposed to do now?_ She was nearing the end of the incantation. _I could kill myself, but that probably wouldn't stop Voldemort from killing the boys in anger. _She also thought about stabbing Voldemort, but the prophecy says that only Harry can kill him, so it would probably be more like pissing off a bear. Right before her last note, she heard something small sail through the air and land in the cauldron. Smoke exploded out of it, quickly filling the courtyard.

Seizing the distraction, Allexia punched Voldemort knocking him off balance and kicked the cauldron over on top of him, spilling its hot contents. As quickly as she could she used the dagger to cut the ropes on the boys. In the fog, she could hear fighting, spells going off everywhere. She could make out members of the Order, but she also could have sworn she heard the voice of Harry Potter. It was difficult carrying two boys through the fog, while trying to avoid getting hit by a stray spell. They were terrified. "It's going to be okay, I'm taking you away from here. You'll be safe." She tried her best to console them.

Allexia pushed through some foliage and knocked over Luna Lovegood in the process. "Luna!" she cried. "What are you doing here?"

"Rescuing you, of course," the girl replied.

"Luna, take the twins and get out of here. Can you do that? I need to help a dear friend of mine."

"Yes, Professor. Come, little ones, we're going flying." Luna told them, eerily calm. She took their hands and led them out of the courtyard.

Allexia ran back toward the house. She heard her father's voice and turned toward the sound. He and Voldemort were throwing spells at each other at speeds she had never thought possible. She was too distracted by the spectacle and was hit a stray stunner. Regaining her composure, she turned back toward the house. Everyone seemed to be fighting outside, but as she neared the dungeon, she heard Wormtail's insipid voice. Going invisible, she made her way down. Standing behind him unnoticed she plucked his wand right out of his silver hand.

"Stupefy!" The force of the spell through him against the wall, knocking him out cold. Visible once more, she set about freeing Francis. "Once we're outside of the wards, can you apparate to Hogwarts?"

"I don't have enough strength I'm afraid." He looked a hundred years older than he was and she felt sorry for even asking the question.

She put one arm around him to help steady him. "We'll get out of here together." Allexia still felt weak, but the adrenaline had kicked in and was keeping her going. It was slow work, but they made it to the ground floor. Thankfully, all the death eaters were outside so the house was empty.

"Not so fast, Miss Dumbledore," said Lucius Malfoy, stepping out in front of them with wand pointed. "Just where do you think you're going?"

_Almost empty._

Severus was battling three death eaters at once and was in danger of being defeated when he heard, "Expelliarmus" seemingly come out of thin air. It distracted the others long enough that he managed to stupefy all of them. Severus turned around in time to see Harry Potter materialize before his eyes. "Are you alright, Professor?" he asked.

Severus stared at him in amazement. Not only did the boy save his life, he was asking after his health and he possessed an invisibility cloak!

"Professor?" Harry asked again.

Suddenly struck with an idea, Severus launched himself at Harry. "I need your cloak boy!"

Harry stepped backward. "It's mine! It belonged to my father!"

"I don't care! I need to find Allex- Professor Price!" The last he had seen of her, she'd just punched the dark lord in the face. Severus was fairly certain that if he'd had a nose, it would be broken. He figured she may have gone back to the house.

Harry still looked apprehensive. "Damnit boy! The cloak! I'll give it back I swear to it."

Harry handed it to the potions master. He could see the desperation in his teacher's eyes and it frightened him a little. He also thought that if Ginny was missing, he would be just as desperate to find her. Harry decided that maybe the rumors about Snape and the headmaster's daughter were true after all. "Good luck, Professor. I'll hold you to your word."

Snape nodded and donned the cloak, heading towards the house.

Allexia clutched her wand tightly, but her hand still trembled. The andrenaline was wearing off. "We were just taking a little moonlit stroll."

"You think you're so clever. You have only postponed the inevitable."

"Why aren't you outside fighting along side your dark lord? Last I saw of him, my father was giving him quite a wand whipping." She was baiting a bear, but damned if she was going to go out quietly.

"Shut up! Cruc…"

"Expelliarmus!" came a familiar, deep voice. Malfoy's wand flew through the air and landed his Severus' outstretched hand.

"Traitor!" shouted Lucius, rushing him.

Severus' spell threw him against the wall and his next spell encased him in ropes. Allexia wanted to scream, cry, and laugh all at the same time. Severus was bloody and dirty, but he was most beautiful thing she had ever seen in that moment. He moved quickly to help her with Francis.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"I'll survive. Francis needs help though."

They made it outside, where it looked like the death eaters were retreating. They were nearly to the perimeter of the estate when Liz stepped into their path.

"Liz, get out the way!" Allexia yelled.

Severus pointed his wand at her, but she was faster. His wand flew out of his hand and landed at her feet.

"No! You don't get to leave that easily, love," Liz said in a voice Allexia had never heard from her before.

"Severus, get Francis to Hogwarts. Promise me you'll do it, no matter what." Allexia removed Francis' arm from around her neck.

"What the hell are you doing?" Severus asked.

"Please," she said, nearly inaudible. "I've got this."

He didn't believe her and she didn't believe herself. "They're not going anywhere," said Liz.

Allexia advanced on Liz, making her devote all the attention to her. "This is between me and you. We have unfinished business." Allexia moved even closer. So close that the tip of Liz's wand was touching her chest. "Come on, Liz, what are you waiting for?"

Severus stopped moving and stared at the two of them. He didn't know what game she was playing at, but it was scaring him. Seeing Allexia, once again, sacrificing herself so that he could get away, he finally admitted to himself that he loved her. He would have dropped the old man to the ground and swooped in to save her, if Francis hadn't suddenly passed out.

_Promise me you'll do it, no matter what._

Reluctantly, he moved beyond the borders of Malfoy Mansion and apparated to Hogwarts.

"Kill me, Liz! Kill your best friend!" Allexia could see some confusion in Liz's eyes. She seized the opportunity. "You were my sister, Liz. I trusted you, like I have trusted no one. You felt that too."

"Well, you're wrong."

"Am I? This is not you. Just like being a merciless, bounty hunter is not who I am. If this was you, I would already be dead." Allexia felt tears on her face. "Please, Elizabeth. Leave Voldemort behind and come with me. My father and I can protect you."

Liz's wand was slowly moving down, whether she realized it or not. "No, you can't. I'm a death eater. I will always be a death eater."

"I don't believe you!" Allexia grabbed Liz's wrist and held it up so that her wand was now pointed at her face. "If you are truly Voldemort's slave, then kill me!"

The two witches stood locked in this manner for what seemed like minutes. Liz was crying now, but Allexia didn't let go. Suddenly, Liz looked over Allexia's shoulder and at the same moment Allexia heard something flying through the air towards them. Liz pushed Allexia to the side and she fell to the ground. Allexia saw Liz on the ground as well – with an axe protruding from her chest. "No!" she shouted futilely.

The death eater that threw it was advancing quickly and without a moment's thought, Allexia pointed Liz's wand at him and shouted with ferocity, "Avada Kedavra!" Green light engulfed him and he fell down dead.

"Oh, Liz." Allexia cradled her best friend's head, caressing her face.

"I'm so sorry, Lexy."

"Shhh, it's gonna be okay." _No, it isn't._ She vainly tried to wipe the blood that was running out of the corner of her mouth.

"Take me back to my parents. Tell them…I'm sorry." With that, she was gone.

Allexia sobbed over the now still body of the woman whom she loved like a sister. She heard movement coming closer and she had to get them out of there. She pulled the accursed axe out Liz's chest and threw it a far as she could. Mustering every last bit of strength, she cast a mobilcorpus spell on Liz's body and headed away from the manor. When they were clear of the wards, she put Liz down and, holding her in her arms, apparated into the night.


	25. Sleep

Chapter 25 – Sleep

_'I know it's late,_

_ We've known each other awhile._

_ I can't wait,_

_ To see your twisted smile._

_ Kindred spirit of candle light_

_ I won't sleep unless you_

_ Sleep with me tonight.'_

_ - "Sleep" by Conjure One_

The area just inside the gates of Hogwarts had been transformed into a triage center. Madame Pomfrey and some of the other teachers were busy trying to mend the wounded that had returned from the battle. Minerva was wondering through the injured taking a tally of who was still unaccounted for. Severus and another man had arrived just a few minutes prior, but Albus and his daughter were still missing.

"Did you find her, Severus?" she asked him.

He looked extremely worried, which she is never a good sign. "Yes, but she bid me to take Francis, the man I brought, to safety while she tried to save the friend that betrayed her in the first place. I didn't want to leave her, but you know how incredibly stubborn that woman can be."

"And Albus?"

"He was showing the dark lord exactly why he is called the most powerful wizard of our time." Severus looked around at the casualties and noticed a few students getting bandaged up and he thought back to Harry Potter. "I ran into Harry Potter during the attack. I see he was not the only student there."

Minerva face took on a stern expression. "Yes, I will be dealing with all of them personally. From what I've been able to gather from listening to some of them, it was Neville Longbottom's idea, not Mr. Potter's. Longbottom seemed to feel that he owed Allexia for saving him. Harry was no doubt the ring leader though."

Severus grit his teeth. "He saved my life. I was cornered and he came to my aid, like the bloody Gryffindor he is."

Minerva stared at him in shock. When she recovered, she cheekily said, "How many house points is saving your life worth, Professor?"

He was about to make a scathing remark when Albus came wandering through the gates. He looked absolutely ancient, the duel with Voldemort obviously taking its toll. Minerva wanted to wrap her arms around him, but that would have to wait until later. Not trusting his legs anymore, Albus sat on the nearest cot. His eyes were searching for his daughter and he momentarily panicked when he didn't find her. He looked at Minerva and Severus questioningly. "The twins are safe. Luna Lovegood brought them back to Hogwarts. She said that Allexia rescued them and told her to get them to safety. Now that you're here, we are only missing Mundungus and…Allexia. Mundungus, no doubt, fled before the fighting even started."

Albus was about the ask Severus what happened, when they heard shouts from the others. Allexia was slowly walking up the path, with what appeared to be a body floating behind her. Her appearance was ragged and her arms and upper chest were covered in blood. The three of them rushed to meet her, everyone parting for them to get closer.

Allexia saw her father and tried in vain to keep control of her emotions. Suddenly, she felt like a little girl who had just woken up from a nightmare. Her father must have sensed it because he pulled her into his arms. Not able to hold it in, she sobbed. She clung to him for fear he would disappear. "Daddy, I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Shhhhh," he said, over and over. "You're home now."

After several minutes, Allexia regained most of her composure and she embraced Minerva, who wiped away tears of her own. "Welcome back, dear."

Severus and Allexia locked eyes, but he backed off to let the other members of the Order greet her. For a moment she could read his happiness for her return in his black eyes, but then it was gone. Not knowing what else to do and satisfied that she was not injured too much, he retreated for his dungeons.

After nearly an hour of thanking everyone personally and making sure that Francis and the boys were well taken care of, she made it back to her quarters and Ebony was there to greet her enthusiastically. She secretly commended the students for their bravery, but she knew she shouldn't encourage such behavior. She saw Severus sneak off and was sad to see him go.

As if suddenly aware that she was still wearing it, Allexia ripped off the gown and threw it into the fire. Although she was exhausted, she headed to the bathroom for a much needed shower and afterwards she would pay the potions master a visit.

* * *

Severus was dozing off on the sofa in front of his fireplace when someone knocked on his door. It was nearly dawn. He answered the door with a scowl, but his face softened a bit when he saw Allexia and he let her in. Her hair was still damp and she smelled of lavender. He thought her beautiful despite the look of exhaustion on her face. She stood by the fire, warming her hands. Severus stood next to her, looking at the flames, but casting sideways glances at her. He could tell she hadn't eaten much of anything while she was captive and his hatred for his former master grew.

Allexia wasn't sure what she was doing here in his study when she should be asleep in her own bed, but she had the urge to see him. After everything that had happened, she just needed company – his company. She turned suddenly and embraced him. Her arms circled his waist and she buried her head in his chest, breathing in his scent. Severus stiffened immediately, but unable to resist he put one arm around her and cradled her head with the other. His head came down to rest on hers. Severus slowly realized that they fit perfectly together.

Allexia was warm and content for the first time in weeks. She felt so tired and she wanted to sleep, but she didn't want to leave his embrace. "I wanted to do this when I first saw you outside, but I know how you despise such displays in public," she murmured.

Severus fought the urge to laugh. _How well she knows me, it seems._ He could feel her falling. "You should get some sleep," he told her. Almost subconsciously, he stroked her hair, marveling in its softness.

"Mmmmm, but I don't want to move. You're very warm and cozy," her exhaustion was giving way to honesty. Severus didn't think the words warm and cozy would ever be used to describe him, but once again Allexia managed to surprise. He maneuvered her to the sofa and she was asleep in his arms almost instantly. Severus shifted his position to be more comfortable and was soon sleeping himself.

At precisely 6:30 in the morning, a house elf popped in to bring Professor Snape his usual coffee and scone. This morning, however, Jipp was not prepared to find the professor still asleep on the sofa along with the headmaster's daughter and he nearly dropped his service tray. Very carefully, he set it down on the table, added a second cup to it and popped over to the Professor Dumbledore's office to see if he was there.

"Is headmaster requiring anything this morning?" asked Jipp, when he saw the old wizard at his desk. Then he noticed Professor McGonagall. "Is you, Professor?"

"Just some tea please, Jipp," said Minerva.

"Oh, Jipp," Albus spoke up. "Why don't you have some hot chocolate waiting in Professor Price's room for when she wakes up?" The house elf froze. Should he tell the headmaster that she's not in her rooms? Confusion was obviously written on his tiny face. "Jipp, Professor Price returned to us last night," said Albus, thinking the house elves didn't know she had been rescued.

Jipp fiddled with his hands nervously. "We knows, sir. It's just that Professor Price is not in her rooms. She's in Professor Snape's, sleeping with him." Not waiting around to see what was going to happen, Jipp disappeared with a pop back to the kitchens.

Albus' brow furled. "What did he say?"

Minerva laughed in spite of herself. "Albus, before your filthy mind jumps to conclusions, remember that house elves are very literal. Jipp said that Allexia is asleep in the dungeons with Severus. I told you there was something between them."

The headmaster rose from his desk and headed to the fireplace. He threw in some floo powder and said, "Professor Snape's study." The flames turned green and Albus called for Severus in the flames. When he got no response, he stepped through. Minerva followed close behind, not knowing what Albus was going to do next. She found him standing very still and was about to say something when he turned around with a finger to his lips. Minerva looked behind him and saw that Jipp was absolutely right. There was Allexia and Severus asleep on the sofa. His arms were wrapped protectively around her. Feeling like they were intruding on an intimate moment, she tugged at Albus' sleeve and they went back through the fireplace.

"Don't tell me you are still uneasy about them being more than friends?" asked Minerva.

Albus didn't want to admit that he was uneasy about any man being more than friends with Allexia. "It's just that sometimes I look at her and I still see my little girl."

She came over to him and kissed him lightly. "She will always be your little girl, Albus. I think they go very well together. Perhaps they can heal their old wounds with each other's help."

* * *

Severus woke up to warm breath on his neck. He looked down and saw that Allexia had shifted her body and was nuzzling her face into his neck. It sent shivers down his body for all the wrong reasons. He needed to move before he embarrassed himself. He tried to push her away so he could move, but she clung tightly to him.

"No," she muttered, "Warm and cozy."

"Bloody hell, woman, I need to go to the bathroom."

That brought Allexia out of the haze she was in. "Shit, Severus, I didn't mean to fall asleep here." She sat up and let him get off the sofa. He quickly left the room, leaving Allexia alone. She remembered coming here after her shower, but then it was a blur. She did remember being in his arms and how incredible it felt. It was great to be held after what she'd just been through. Noticing the tray of coffee, she poured him a cup and did the same for herself. She was adding milk and sugar to hers, when Severus returned.

"I'll take mine…" he started to say.

"Black," she finished, handing him the cup. "I know."

They sat together in silence. She lost in the fire, he lost in his coffee. Allexia finally spoke up, "Thank you, Severus. For saving me from Malfoy, for Francis…for everything."

"You saved my life, it was the least I could do," he replied. Severus wanted to say more, but was unsure of how to proceed. The ferocity of his feelings for her surprised him. He thought about his feelings for Lily and how she never reciprocated them, at least not the way he wanted. Allexia, to his dismay, just might actually feel the same. Having never actually been involved in a romantic relationship, he had no idea what he was doing and Severus Snape hated not knowing what he was doing.

"Thank you for letting me stay here last night. I really didn't want to be alone." She took a few more sips of coffee and set the cup down. "Oh, Liz," she sighed, starting to cry. "I got to her. I knew my best friend was under that death eater mask somewhere. Just as I get her back, I lose her. She died for me. We used to joke that we would take a bullet for each other."

He couldn't stand to see her hurting, so he took her in his arms and let her cry into his chest. Allexia's breathing became more even after a while and she was just content to be held once again. _I could really get used to this. _His chest was solid beneath her and she briefly thought about how it would feel without layers of clothing. Stop it, she chided herself. "If you keep this up Severus, I will never leave."

"If you tell me I'm warm and cozy again, you will never be allowed down here."

Allexia couldn't help but giggle like a schoolgirl. Severus tried with all he had not to be pulled in by her laughter, but the sides of his mouth tugged upward of their own accord. She looked at him and got quiet all of a sudden. "What?" Severus asked. There was a reason he never smiled, it scared people.

"I told you I would make you smile." It slowly registered to him that their faces were very close together and he was adrift, floating in the cerulean pools of her eyes. She touched a strand of his hair that had fallen into his eyes. "You are very handsome when you smile," she said in a whisper. Allexia couldn't believe how fast her heart was beating and how hard it was to breath. Is this what love is supposed to feel like? Like you're drowning?

He moved toward her, determined more than ever to kiss those full lips of hers. He was nearly there when a voice from the fireplace startled them both. "Severus? Allexia? If you are awake, please meet me in my office." Nothing ruins a mood more than being interrupted by your father, Allexia thought. She sighed and lowered her head. Severus put a hand under her chin and forced her to look at him. "I've bloody hell waited long enough," he murmured, before capturing her lips with his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Allexia thought to herself that she was indeed drowning, but she didn't mind at all.

* * *

Allexia and Severus sat in Dumbledore's office feeling like a couple of students who were caught making out in a broom closet. Even though nothing happened, just the fact that her father knew she had spent the night with Severus made her feel nervous. Minerva on the other hand, kept looking between the two of them with a half smile. "Do you want to have breakfast here or in the Great Hall?" Albus asked her.

"The Great Hall. I've missed the noise from all the students."

He looked at her over his half moon glasses. "I would like to know exactly what you were thinking when you decided to give yourself up to Tom Riddle." His words were cold and she could hear the pain behind them.

"Headmaster, this is hardly…" Severus said, determined to defend her.

She put a hand on his knee. "No, Severus, it's okay. I was thinking it was a good way to save those boys, which I ultimately did. I've had the dark lord invading my dreams since the Ministry Ball. Do you know how hard it was to resist him? Do you know how many times he showed me my mother being killed? Do you know how close I was to going to him willingly, plan or no plan? Do you know how ashamed I am that he played me like a poker hand? He knew I would give in! He knew I wanted to kill Mom's murderer so bad that I would do anything. I did exactly what he wanted. The dagger needed to be used to kill someone in vengeance and that is exactly what I did. I will have to live with that for the rest of my life." She was out of breath now. Allexia looked to Minerva, who looked shocked and almost in tears. "Minerva, I'm afraid I let you down. I let you both down. For that, I will always be sorry. Thank you for coming to my rescue. I know the Order risked their lives for me and for those boys."

"Allexia, don't you ever scare me like that again. I don't think my old heart could take it," Albus said and she thought he looked so old in that moment. In an instant she was behind his desk, hugging him. "And no more secrets! If Tom is trying to contact you, tell me. That goes for both of you. Moody would like a report on what you saw, but I told him he would have to wait until you were ready. I still don't agree with what you two did, but it worked out in the end. I'm very sorry about your friend, Elizabeth, but considering you would not be here if not for her, I am eternally grateful. She has certainly redeemed herself in my eyes and I think in her parents' as well." Albus nodded toward his penseive. "I would very much like to know what happened."

Allexia knew what her father was asking. "Are you sure want to see?" she asked.

"I know I won't like any of it, but I want to understand what you went through," Albus said.

She walked over to the penseive and took out her wand. It was Liz's wand actually, her own was lost. She did manage to recover Severus' wand at least. "Very well, but don't say I didn't warn you. You get the short version, though, and it doesn't go beyond the three of you." Allexia relaxed her mind and reached into her memories. She pulled the wand away from her temple and watched the silvery strands descend into the basin. "I'll be waiting in the Great Hall."

* * *

Students were just starting to come into the Great Hall when she walked in. Some of them came up to her and welcomed her back with smiles and a few hugs from younger students. She was trying to keep herself from getting all emotional when Harry and a large group of Gryffindors walked in. Propriety be damned, she greeted Harry with a big hug. "Thank you for helping Professor Snape and myself in the process," she whispered.

"Your welcome, Professor. It's good to have you back," replied Harry.

"Professor?" came Neville's voice. "I wanted to thank you for saving my life." She pulled Neville in for a hug and his face turned bright red.

"I was so scared when I saw you. I believe I owe you thanks as well. I heard it was your idea for your little army to come after me. Regardless of what the Order or anyone else says, you guys were incredible." She looked around at all their faces. "Thank you all."

As they watched their professor walk up to the teacher's table, Ron blurted out, "Where was my hug?"

Food had already appeared by the time her father, Minerva and Severus walked in and sat down. She could feel their eyes on her and the last thing wanted was pity, but thankfully she didn't read that in their eyes. Sadness, perhaps, and a small amount of admiration, but not pity. Albus squeezed her hand. "You were remarkably brave, Allexia. Godric Gryffindor himself would be proud. Your mother would be proud." She smiled in thanks.

Severus spent his entire breakfast thinking about Allexia hanging upside down while Bellatrix whipped her. Seeing as how this was punishment for saving his and Longbottom's life, he felt guilty. She endured so much for him. He didn't deserve it, he thought. The other thing that bothered him was Voldemort making her see him as a death eater. Yes she knew he had once been a death eater, but to show her. To have his past laid bare before her in such a way made him self-conscious and ashamed. The rational side of his brain was trying to tell him that Allexia obviously didn't let it change her opinion of him, judging by the way she eagerly welcomed his kiss. His lips started to tingle as he thought to earlier that morning. She had smiled so beautifully at him when they finally broke apart and he couldn't help but smile back. The power she held over him was both infuriating and thrilling at the same time.

He was brought out of his reverie by Albus' voice announcing that classes were being cancelled today and he looked over at Allexia, but she was already gone. Instead his eyes met Minerva's and she had that knowing smile again. "Allexia went to visit her friend in the Hospital Wing," she told him. He nodded and moved past her towards the side door. She put a hand on his arm. "She's good for you, Severus," Minerva said quietly. Nodding again, he continued out the door.

* * *

Allexia spent half an hour helping Francis eat some breakfast. He was still very weak, but Madame Pomfrey said he'll be back on his feet in no time. The mediwitch mentioned that he was being quite cheeky and was trying to flirt with her while she checked his vitals. "He is definitely feeling better," said Allexia. Afterwards, she asked if she could see Liz. Madame Pomfrey consented and told her that Liz's parents would be by soon to collect the body.

The room she was in was being kept cold and Allexia pulled her robe tighter to her body. They did a good job cleaning her up and she looked as if she were only sleeping. Was it really only six years ago that hey had met? She felt like they'd known each other longer. "I will never forget you, my dearest friend. Wherever you are now, I hope you know that I forgive you. You gave up your life for me. I always felt that being the older one meant that I would protect you. Do you what my favorite memory of us is? Just you and I sitting at your piano, drinking wine and singing songs. I remember you being so embarrassed to admit that your favorite song was "Rainbow Connection." We sang it so loudly that your neighbors complained." Allexia didn't realize that she had started crying. She also didn't realize that someone else had come into the room.

"I used to sing it to her and Maggie when they were children," came a woman's voice behind her.

Allexia turned around and saw Liz's mom, tears in her eyes as well. What do you say to a woman who has now lost both of her children? "Mrs. Brooke, I'm so sorry."

The woman who looked so much like Liz it was uncanny, held up her hand. "I mean no offence, but I'm very tired of hearing that. Professor Dumbledore told us that Lizzy died saving you. She was a hero in the end and not a villain."

"She told me to tell you that she was sorry, for what it's worth."

Mrs. Brooke nodded. "My husband and I cannot thank you enough though for saving our grandsons. If you ever need anything, you are always welcome at our house."

"I was wondering if I could keep Liz's wand. I lost mine in the battle and I actually feel comfortable with hers," asked Allexia.

"I think Lizzy would like that." Allexia hugged her and left her to have some time alone with Liz.

* * *

Severus found her on top of the Astronomy Tower looking out over the grounds. She was watching her best friend's body being taken off the grounds. Holding her wand to the sky, Allexia said, "Lumos Arcus." A brilliant rainbow shot out of end of her wand and into the clouds above.

_'Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection. The lovers, the dreamers, and me.'_

She sang the words softly to herself and when Liz and her parents apparrated, she lowered her wand and whispered, "Nox."

* * *

_As always, thank you for reading._


End file.
